Boston's Tenth

Red Sox Open the Season in Style

2010-04-04T23:02:00.000-07:00

What a way to kick off the 2010 season! The Sox pulled out all the stops with Pedro throwing out the first pitch, Steven Tyler singing "God Bless America," and Neil Diamond in person to belt out "Sweet Caroline."

Even Nomar and Schilling were in the house thanks to ESPN and LeBron got to see "his Yankees" blow the game after his Cavs got beat by the Cs earlier in the day. Can it get any better than this?

It didn't look good with the Sox trailing 5-1 after 4 innings and much of Red Sox Nation already moaning about the lack of offense and Beckett's big contract (that was me). But there were way too many positives Sunday night that we have to feel good about the new-look Sox.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 9, Yankees 7

All the new guys did well, the bullpen with the exception of Ramirez was lights out, and team leaders Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis sparked the much-maligned offense as it came through to beat the Yankees at their own game.

We couldn't ask for much more except for a better start out of Beckett, but hopefully he got that bad outing out of the way and will revert to his 2007 form and earn his money as the No. 1 starter.

It was especially nice to see Beltre, Cameron and Scutaro come through with big contributions. Scutaro's 2-out RBI single in the 5th sparked the comeback, Beltre's RBI single in the 6th to tie it 5-5 was huge, and Cameron showed his speed scoring the insurance run in the 8th on Pedroia's RBI single.

Bard and Papelbon could be a devastating combo closing out games this year. With the starting pitching that the Sox will send to the mound every night, if they have a lead after 7 innings it could be all over for the opposition.

It was a tough night for Ellsbury and Big Papi, but hopefully that will change when they're not facing tough lefties.

I would like to see Lowell at DH against lefties though. Ortiz proved last year that he's not the same guy any more, especially against lefties, and Lowell rakes southpaws so why not put him in there? Francona is loyal to a fault though, so that may never happen.

One down, 161 to go.

Should the Red Sox Trade for Roy Halladay?

2009-11-25T11:37:00.000-08:00

The hot stove league is heating up and the latest rumor has the Sox going hard after Roy Halladay. Halladay has been a great pitcher over the years -- especially against the Sox -- but is this the move the Sox should be making?

It will cost a lot for the Sox to get Halladay. Last year they reportedly offered a package that included Daniel Bard and Clay Buchholz, but that wasn't enough.

Now ESPN and the Globe are reporting that the Blue Jays want a package that includes top prospect Casey Kelly and Buchholz. I believe that is still too much.

Halladay is now 32 and hasn't been as dominant in the last couple of years as he was earlier in his career. His contract is up after next season and he will be asking for a big money, long-term deal.

A better option for the Sox may be free agent John Lackey. Lackey has been a consistent winner for the Angels for seven seasons, is a year younger than Halladay and will probably be a little cheaper to sign.

The biggest difference though is the Sox won't have to trade for Lackey meaning they can keep their young stud pitchers and other prospects.

When the front office decided to trade Hanley Ramirez for Beckett and Lowell, they made the conscious decision to go with pitching and sacrifice some offense. They have been looking for a shortstop ever since and still don't have one.

Why not continue to bolster the pitching and bide some time with average shortstops while grooming Kelly to take over the position in a couple of years?

It would make more sense to hang on to Buchholz and Bard, and add another potential ace in Lackey to the rotation. That would give the team three aces along with Lester and Beckett. Then if Dice-K can bounce back with a good year and Wakefield or someone else can fill the No. 5 spot the pitching will be solid.

After that they re-sign Bay and add some bench depth and hope Ortiz and Lowell stay healthy for one more year and are productive. This allows the Sox to compete for a championship in 2010 while protecting the top prospects for the future.

Sox Cruise Toward Playoffs

2009-09-17T21:18:00.000-07:00

After a tough week in which the Sox took 5 of 6 from Tampa and the Angels, the Sox now hit the final stretch of the season and the schedule is very favorable.

With 14 games against Baltimore, Toronto, Kansas City and Cleveland, and 3 at New York left on the schedule, the Sox should easily hold on to their 6-game lead over the Rangers and make the playoffs.

Boston could conceivably still catch the Yankees with 13 or 14 wins over these last two weeks, but that still might not be enough.

Either way, the Sox are playing much better and the Yankees have stumbled a bit lately giving us renewed hope that the Red Sox can still win it all this year.

The lineup has been pretty solid lately with the exception of Varitek. And what's with the two passed balls on strike three the last two games? The first one cost the team a run and the second one may have cost Beckett a win.

We all love Tek and appreciate what he has done for us over the years, but his time has passed. He can't hit and he can't throw anybody out. He shouldn't play in the playoffs and hopefully he'll just retire after the season and bow out gracefully.

The key now is to make sure everyone is healthy. Hopefuly Youk and Paps can shake off their back problems and nothing else happens to anybody over the next couple weeks.

A rotation of Lester, Beckett, Buchholz and a rejuvenated Dice-K might be enough to take us all the way.

Sox Hold Ground in Wild-Card Race

2009-09-09T22:15:00.000-07:00

Coming home and facing the Orioles was once again just what the doctor ordered for the Red Sox. Two wins over the O's kept the Sox 2 games ahead of the Rangers who swept the Indians in Cleveland.

Victor Martinez came through with a huge pinch-hit 3-run double to break a 4-4 tie in the 7th and lead the Sox to a 7-5 win Wednesday night.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 7, Orioles 5

He continues to be probably the best pickup that any team made at the non-waiver trade deadline. Vic is hitting .326 with 6 homers and 28 RBIs in 36 games with the Sox.

Jason Bay went 3-for-5 with 2 RBIs and became the 5th Boston left fielder to have 30 homers and 100 RBIs in a season joining Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, Jim Rice and Manny Ramirez -- not a bad list to be on.

Paul Byrd pitched a shaky 5 innings and Manny Delacarmen was awful in relief giving up the lead by allowing 2 runs in 1/3 of an inning.

Ramon Ramirez gave up a hit to the first batter he faced allowing a run to score. The middle relief continues to be an issue for the Sox, but the back of the bullpen looks pretty solid.

Billy Wagner picked up the win with another scoreless inning. He struck out 2 of the 3 batters he faced and has looked dominant in a Red Sox uniform. I don't think Francona would have any problem using Wagner in a save situation if the need arose.

Although Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon didn't have great nights on Wednesday, they have been pitching well lately.

Tuesday, the Red Sox bashed six home runs, including two by Dustin Pedroia, to pound the Orioles 10-0. Clay Buchholz had his best outing of the season and may be that No. 3 starter the Sox have been looking for.

Now comes the two big series against the reeling Rays and the Angels. The Sox can't let up because the Rangers are on fire.

Beckett Still Can't Get a Win

2009-09-07T23:58:00.000-07:00

After a nice win on Sunday it would have been big to get a win from Beckett and split the series, but the offense didn't show up again.

Beckett pitched well enough to win, but at this point I think the Sox would have to start Lester in game 1 of a playoff series.

At least Beckett didn't give up any home runs.

BOX SCORE: White Sox 5, Red Sox 1

Maybe the Sox will have a chance if Lester can continue to dominate into the playoffs.

Jacoby Ellsbury continued his outstanding season going 2 for 4, scoring the Sox only run of the game and stealing his MLB-leading 60th base of the year.

Ells has a 5-steal lead over Carl Crawford. If he holds on to lead the majors in steals he will only be the 2nd Boston player to have that title. Billy Werber pulled off the feat in 1934 and '35 with 40 and 29 steals, respectively.

The Rays look like their done, especially with the Pena out, so it's Texas we have to worry about.

The Rangers have 7 more games with the Angels and Oakland, 6 with Seattle, 3 with Tampa and 3 with Cleveland -- including a doubleheader Tuesday.

I like the Sox chances heading into this homestand (2 with Baltimore, 3 with Tampa, 3 with Angels) and then with games against Baltimore and KC and the final 7 at home against Toronto and Cleveland.

The Sox should win at least 15 of the last 25 games, but I think 13 or 14 will get them in.

Struggles Continue in Chicago

2009-09-06T10:24:00.000-07:00

Tim Wakefield could barely walk Saturday but he still hobbled out to the mound and actually gave the Sox a decent outing.

I hope J.D. Drew and some of the other guys who don't play when they have a hangnail were watching.

After it looked like he might not get out of the first, Wake was able to gut it out for six innings and give the Sox a chance -- too bad the offense didn't show up.

BOX SCORE: White Sox 5, Red Sox 1

Why is that the entire Sox offense seems to go into a slump at once? Gavin Floyd is a decent pitcher, but he's not Cy Young. Three hits and 12 strikeouts is a pathetic performance.

Now the Sox have to win the next two games with Lester and Beckett on the mound and then beat up on Baltimore at home before Tampa and the Angels come in.

Byrd Not The Word

2009-09-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

There's a reason why Paul Byrd wasn't playing baseball for most of the season. His first start was a nice surprise, but we really shouldn't be surprised that he got pounded by the White Sox Friday night.

If the Sox need to depend on Byrd to get them into the playoffs they are in trouble.

BOX SCORE: White Sox 12, Red Sox 2

Hopefully Wakefield with return for good saturday. Who would have ever thought that Wake would be the key to the pitching staff and his injury would be the one that had the biggest effect on the team.

It looks like Tazawa isn't ready for the majors just yet either. Hopefully this will be good experience for him and not destroy his confidence.

At least everybody got some rest Friday night, but it is a little disheartening that the Sox basically gave up on this game in the thrid inning when Byrd was allowed to stay in for 7 runs.

How about Kotsay getting some revenge on the Sox? Trading him for Anderson and the Laroche for Kotchman trade seem to be mistakes.

I know they made them because the guys they were getting back were younger, but it doesn't make sense to trade a better play straight up for another guy just because he's younger. Money is obviously not an issue with the Sox, so there was no reason to do this.

Sox Leave Tampa in Good Shape

2009-09-04T09:25:00.000-07:00

The Red Sox finally put to rest the notion that they can't win in Tampa and all but eliminated the Rays from the wild card race by taking two of three in this huge series.

With Vic, Youk and Bay all smashing the ball and everyone in the lineup excpet Ortiz and Lowell getting hits Thursday night, the offense seems to have hit its stride.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 6, Rays 3

Buchholz had a nother decent outing and despite being somewhat inconsistent he may have enough confidence to be effective in the playoffs.

The back end of the bullpen looked overpowering. Billy Wagner continues to be virtually untouchable, Bard finally had a decent inning and papelbon has definitely righted the ship and returned to the form that made him one of the most dominant closers in the league.

With a couple more weeks of solid play the Sox may actually be able to relax a bit and set up the rotation heading into the playoffs.

Beckett Bombed Again

2009-09-02T21:21:00.001-07:00

Maybe we spoke too soon yesterday. Josh Beckett was back to his 2006 (and recent) form giving up two more home runs as the Sox squandered a chance to put the Rays away for good.

Beckett actually settled down and struck out 9 without walking anybody in 6 innings, but if the Sox want to go anywhere in the playoffs they need Beckett to be the dominant pitcher he was for most of May and June.

BOX SCORE: Rays 8, Red Sox 5

Over his last 5 starts he's given up an astounding 26 earned runs in 31 1/3 innings and has surrendered a ridiculous 14 home runs. Those numbers are scary. Maybe we should have kept Brad Penny, who of course pitched 8 shutout innings in his Giants debut Wednesday night.

With the success of Smoltz and now Penny since they left the Sox is it possible that it's the Red Sox system, specifically the coaching of John Farrell, that's the problem?

Maybe they should let these veteran pitchers do what has been successful for them their whole careers. Dice-K was pretty damn good in Japan before he came to the Sox and they reportedly changed his throwing program.

The offense reverted to not being able to come up with a big hit again as well.

It was nice to see them battle back and tie it, but the strikeouts by Gonzalez (a pinch hitter would have been nice in that situation) and Ells to end the 8th-inning rally was a killer. Not getting J-Bay home from 3rd with one out in the 2nd didn't help either.

If the Sox can win Thursday they will still be able to take major step toward securing the wild card and burying the Rays once and for all. A nice outing from Buchholz will also be a huge boost for the once again shaky itching staff.

Sox Make a Statement to Open Series in Tampa

2009-09-01T21:20:00.001-07:00

After a huge win to open a huge series in Tampa Bay, it's time to rethink the Red Sox playoff chances.

I'll admit that I had pretty much written them off after the recent struggles with the Yankees, but I have to give this team credit for bouncing back and putting themselves in position to go into the playoffs playing good ball.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 8, Rays 4

The moves that Theo has made seem to be paying off and the lineup is finally coming around.

If J.D. Drew can continue his hot hitting -- and of course stay healthy (that's the sound of me knocking on wood) -- combined with the resurgence of J-Bay and Big Papi and the steady hitting of Ells, Dustin, Victor, Youk and Lowell, this one-time below average lineup looks pretty formidable.

The addition of Billy Wagner may turn out to be a huge pickup as well. He's a strikeout machine, fanning 5 of the 7 batters he's faced in two scoreless innings for the Sox.

And Tito finally showed some balls by going against the "manager's code" and bringing in Papelbon with the game on the line and no outs in the 8th. Paps delivered the clutch 6-out save and has re-established himself as an elite closer again after a rough patch.

I also like the bench depth the team has now with the 40-man roster call ups. When did we get Joey Gathright? He's a great guy to call up for September to pinch run and steal a key base when you need it. He can also come in for defense in the late innings.

Now if Byrd or Tazawa or Nick Green (LOL) can step up and solidify the rotation we may really have something.

Red Sox White Sox Notes

2009-08-27T20:56:00.000-07:00

Pig Penny, can you repay the 4 million or so back?

Nick Green has just earned a spot as the fourth starter.

Keep hitting those home runs from the nine spot Gonzo!

Is JD Drew catching fire at the right time?

Wake, as frustrating as it can be to watch you pitch at times, we love you! You're a class act and could possibly be the most under appreciated player we've ever had.

Red Sux Yankees

2009-08-21T22:31:00.000-07:00

Pig Penny and the Slumping Sox strike again!

Well, at least we scored some runs against the Yankees. Where was that in NY?

Good to see our best lineup playing. We can't believe there were no tired players or groin pulls for tonight.

Ramon Ramirez, ever since you whined about Green's should have been error in Seattle do you realize you have sucked?

Can we start the season over at the All Star break?

Hopefully we can pull off a miracle tomorrow and Sunday to take the series and earn some respect back.

Why We're Angry Red Sox

2009-08-17T19:21:00.000-07:00

Does Francona know that players can be effective even if they "look tired". I don't know about you all, but I'm tired of seeing a guy get a day off during a big series because he played for a week straight or has a "tweak." Maybe some players should look for a new profession if the job is too tough for them.

One of the highest payrolls in baseball and the bottom of the Sox order is arguably the worst in baseball right now.

JD Drew, for 14 million a year we expect you to play even if your groin has been ripped out!!!!!!

Jason Bay,we love you but if you're "running good", you need to be in the lineup against the Yankees and especially when Youk has to play left field.

Who's the New Face of The Pig?

2009-07-20T21:47:00.000-07:00

Now that the Sox find themselves in second place, looking up at the Yankees, many questions need to be answered.

Will Buchholz permanently stay in the rotation? Can they find an everyday shortstop? Where would they put a power hitter if they can trade for one? But there's a more important question that we need answered -- Who is the new face of the Team Pig?

As Red Sox fans, even though we love all the players, they can really piss us off sometimes. We here at Boston's Tenth affectionately call these under-performing players pigs.

Now that our two favorite pigs Julian Tavarez and Julio Lugo are no longer with the club, we need a new face on our pig. Here are a few candidates and their qualifications. Check them out and vote in our poll.

Manny Delcarmen - Manny loves to walk guys -- especially the first batter he faces -- and has a bad habit of letting inherited runners score. Batters are hitting .252 against him and his WHIP is 1.46.

On the other hand, Delcarmen has only allowed 2 earned runs in his last 10 appearances and sports a 2.31 ERA on the season.

J.D. Drew - Drew is struggling at the plate as his average has dipped below .240. He's not hitting for power and seems to be up there looking for a walk every time. He strikes out looking more than anyone in the league. It's only a matter of time before he gets hurt again, which could be a good thing. Drew is also a thief. He's making an obscene $14 million this season and has 2 years left on his 5-year, $70 million deal.

J.D.'s grand slam in Game 6 of the ALCS against Cleveland may have been the single biggest hit of that championship season. That moment will live forever in Red Sox history and may have been worth all of the $70 million. He also carried the team last June after David Ortiz got injured, hitting .337 with 12 homers.

Daisuke Matsuzaka - Another thief, Dice-K cost the team $51 million just to get him out of Japan and then another $52 million for the next six seasons. He was billed as a phenom with six pitches, but all he seems to do is nibble around the plate and walk guys. He was unable to get out of the jams this season like he had done in the past and the team finally had to put him on the DL. His 2009 stats are about as bad as they come -- 1-5, 8.23 ERA, 2.20 WHIP, 59 hits in 35 innings.

Last season even though it wasn't always pretty, Dice-K found a way to win almost all the time. He finished the year 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA. He also contributed in 2007 with 15 wins and 191 strikeouts in 204 innings and a solid outing in Game 3 of the World Series.

David Ortiz - Ortiz has finally broken out of his horrific early season slump, but his numbers are still pretty bad. His average is hovering around the .220 mark, his slugging percentage is in the low .400s, and he strikes out almost once a game. The decline actually started last season after his wrist injury as he finished with a .264 average and just 23 home runs.

Big Papi is showing signs of the Big Papi of old and is now on pace for almost 30 homers. His first five seasons with the club was one of the greatest stretches any player Red Sox player has ever had. He almost single-handedly brought the team back from the 0-3 deficit to the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS. He is beloved throughout New England and really shouldn't even be on this list.

Brad Penny - Just when it looked like Penny was coming around he got lit up by Toronto. He has a 5.02 ERA and opponents are hitting .293 against him. He rarely makes it past the 5th inning and the team seems to have no confidence when he's on the mound.

Penny has allowed 3 runs or less in six of his last seven starts. Before he was injured with the Dodgers last season he had back-to-back 16-win seasons and has proven he can be an effective starter. He's still probably best used as trade bait though.

That's all we've got so far. If you have any other candidates you want make a case for leave a comment and we'll take it under consideration.

Sox Drop 3rd Straight, Tied for 1st

2009-07-20T21:25:00.001-07:00

I think we all saw this coming a couple of weeks ago, and then the Sox rattled off three wins in a row while the Yankees got swept by the Angels and things didn't look so bad at the break.

That's all a distant memory now as Boston lost to Texas Monday night -- the third straight loss in which the Sox scored 3 runs or less -- and New York won its fourth straight and now we're all even.

I guess the only silver lining is that since the Sox have won all eight meetings with the Yankees and will likely win the season series, if the teams tie for first Boston would win with tie breaker. There's a long way to go before we get to that point though.

It's time to make a move to bolster the lineup. The problem is the Sox need a better hitting shortstop and production out of right field and that isn't going to be so easy to fix since there aren't many decent shortstops available and we're likely stuck with J.D. Drew in right field.

If Drew can't start hitting for average and power, they need to do what they did with Dice-K and come up with a mysterious injury. Then maybe they can trade for a bat and solidify the middle of the lineup.

It would be nice if Jason Bay would start hitting again too. He looks lost at the plate and I'm starting to wonder if the failed contract negotiations have taken a toll on J-Bay.

John Smoltz and Brad Penny are big concerns also. They might as well unload Penny to make room for Buchholz. Smoltz looks like a 5-inning pitcher and Francona needs to understand that and take him out before he starts getting hit like he did tonight.

Hopefully Beckett will right the ship tomorrow and the offense will break out of its funk.

Midseason Report: So Far, So Good

2009-07-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

Just when it looked like the Red Sox were going to limp into the All-Star break and lose their hold on first place in the AL East, they turned it around and got some help from the Angels to get the lead back to three games.

A three-game lead at the break sounds pretty good right now considering all that has transpired over the first half of the season.

The pitching, with the notable exception of Dice-K, has lived up to preseason expectations.

Beckett and Lester are once again the two Aces at the top of rotation, Wakefield has been much better than anyone could have imagined, Penny has been solid and Smoltz should get better as the season wears on.

The bullpen has struggled a bit lately, but they are still arguably the best in baseball. Papelbon continues to be a premier closer and Okajima has regained the form of his rookie season. Bard is a stud who should become more valuable in the second half and Ramirez has stumbled of late but still looks like a solid set up guy.

There has to be concern about the middle relief, however. Masterson and Delcarmen have been brutal lately and Saito has been very inconsistent. I wouldn't be surprised if one them is packaged in a deadline deal.

The offense has found a way to produce despite the slumps and injuries.

Dustin and Youk have been solid and should have excellent second halves. Ellsbury is now consistently getting on base. He has been stealing bases at will. It would be great to see him back in the leadoff spot, but I have to admit the offense has been better since the switch.

Ortiz has proved me wrong and become Big Papi again. I thought he was done after his "slump of the century" to begin the season, but somehow he has regained his form and become a feared hitter again.

It's J-Bay's turn to be in a slump right now. Hopefully the break will get him out of it, but up until the last couple of weeks he had carried the offense. He should be fine.

Tek and Green have been pleasant surprises. Varitek is on pace for 25 homers and isn't an automatic out anymore. Green has to be one of the first half MVPs. With Lowrie going down and Lugo being the Pig that he is, Green has been solid at the plate and made some nice plays in the field.

The two question marks right now are Lowell and J.D. Drew. Drew has had a subpar year so far, but he is still a solid player and should be able to be counted on if he stays healthy.

Lowell has been excellent when he's in the lineup, but the hip problems are worrisome. Even if he comes back strong from the DL, you still have to be concerned the injury could flare up at any time.

So it's nice to be up by three games and have the best record in the AL, but there is a lot of work yet to be done. There's mo way the Sox can stand pat. They definitely need another bat and some help in the bullpen -- maybe a lefty or a middle reliever.

I don't think they should go for a blockbuster deal and give up Buchholz or any of the other top prospects, but a combination of one of the guys in the pen and a lesser prospect should get the team what it needs to get to the postseason.

LA Idiots and the Pigpen

2009-07-05T22:53:00.000-07:00

Well, the LA idiots were out in San Diego this weekend cheering on the cheater, quitter and old man pusher Manny Ramirez. It amazes me what has become of our society. An athlete can basically do anything they want, and as long as they excel at their sport, they will be cheered like a hero. The fact is Manny Ramirez doesn't give a crap about anyone in LA and he's a horrible role model. Every fan that cheered for him this weekend is an idiot, plain and simple. I also believe this is true for any Boston fan that cheered for him after he quit on the team.

Now to real baseball news. The Sox had a disappointing weekend losing two tough games on Friday and Saturday. What has been the Pigpen of late, saw Ramirez blow Friday's game in extra innings and Saito walk the ballpark on Saturday. It seems like ever since Ramirez complained about the error in Seattle, he's been hittable. And watching Saito walk the ballpark while Bard was warming up was especially tough. The pen is still the best in baseball so look to them to bounce back.

Fortunately, the Sox had a nice come from behind win on Sunday beating Seattle 8-4. Papi, Ellsbury and Pedroia all hit solo home runs and had 5 rbi between the three.

Lester's outing was similar to many we've seen this year. His line went 6.2 innings pitched, 4 runs 1 earned, 8 hits, 3 walks, 9ks. Masterson and Okie finished it with 2 1/3 innings of scoreless ball.

Next up is Oakland tomorrow night at 7:10 Fenway Park. Smoltz (0-1 6.00 era) vs Andersen (4-7 5.45 era)

Our Prediction: Sox sweep the series!

Happy Birthday USA!

2009-07-04T13:34:00.000-07:00

Have a great, safe holiday everyone. GO RED SOX!

Sox too much for Nationals

2009-06-23T22:13:00.000-07:00

The Red Sox opened up their road trip beating the Washington Nationals 11 - 3 on Tuesday and add yet another win against a National League team to their resume. Coupled with a Yankees loss, the Sox now stand 43 - 27 and 5 full games ahead of our underachieving, over spending rivals.

Brady Penny went 5 2/3 innings allowing 6 hits, 3 earned runs, walking three and striking out six. Delcarmen picked up the win pitching a third of an inning in relief. Overall the outing wasn't bad for Penny. However, this was the Nationals and he didn't make it through the 6th inning. My prediction is if Smoltz proves to be the pitcher he's been for the past 20 years and Penny doesn't start to dominate, the Sox will eventually make a trade and call Buchholz up.

Offensively the Sox had 17 hits, 6 walks and 11 runs. The game was tight until the 8th when they opened it up with 6 runs. Bay and Ells were the offensive stars with each racking up 4 hits and 3 rbi. Bay hit his 19th home run of the season and Ells just missed one hitting the top of the left center field wall. Ells has been on fire and I think it's time for him to get back to the top of the order. Personally, I can't tell you how tired I am of watching Drew take the third strike looking. I love his approach at the plate, but with two strikes a little league player knows you change your approach and swing if it's close. If he doesn't want to hit, put him at the bottom of the order.

Overall the Sox are playing excellent baseball and they're as good as any team in the majors. They play fundamentally sound ball, play hard, have the offense and, most importantly, the pitching to go all the way again. Look for the Sox to continue the momentum tonight with Lester on the mound going up against Stammen.

Note: Our old friend Julian "The Pig" Tavarez took the loss for the Nationals. Julian didn't receive any help from his defense as the run was unearned. As much as he drove me nuts watching him pitch, I have to say it was fun to see him out there continuing to compete. And it's worth noting he got Jeter out the other night during a crucial situation in the game. Way to go Pig!

Changes Coming This Week for Sox

2009-06-14T21:00:00.000-07:00

Now that we've reached the middle of June, the Red Sox have to make some tough decisions.

How do they get John Smoltz and possibly Clay Buchholz in the rotation? Is David Ortiz breaking out of his slump, and if not, how long do they stick with him? Do they stick with Jed Lowrie, Julio Lugo or Nick Green at shortstop? Should they trade Brad Penny?

This will be a busy few weeks for Theo and the boys.

The good thing is the Sox are dealing from a position of strength. After sweeping the Yankess and taking two of three in Philadelphia, the Sox are two games up in the AL East.

Pitching is the strength of the team and there is more on the way. The offense has been solid, but we still haven't seen the best of Dustin Pedroia, J.D. Drew and certainly Big Papi so far this season.

Things should only get better. Now they just have to pull the right triggers on the roster.

It seems that they have to and should trade Penny. They'd love to trade Lugo too, but it's unlikely anyone will take him with his outrageous salary. If they can't trade him they should just release him. Even though he's been hitting better lately, once a Pig - always a Pig.

The biggest risk will be if they trade any of the young stud prospects such as Buchholz, Michael Bowden or Daniel Bard.

If they can package Penny, one of the shortstops and one of the young pitchers and get back a quality shortstop and a slugger I think they'll have to do it.

A package to Texas for Michael Young and Hank Blalock or something similar might work well.

Whatever the case, they will be doing something because there are too many guys and not enough space on the roster.

Let's just hope whatever deals they make work out as well as the Jason Bay trade.

These Guys Really Do Know What They're Doing

2009-06-09T09:32:00.000-07:00

After sweeping the Detroit Tigers and then dropping two out of three to the Texas Rangers last week, the Red Sox find themselves one game behind the Yankees as we enter the third Red Sox-Yankees series of the season.

Considering the struggling starting pitching for most of the season, the gaping hole at shortstop and the well-documented slump of the century, they have to be pretty pleased with that position.

This is a testament to Terry Francona and the coaching staff, and Theo Epstein and the rest of the front office.

I have always been one who believed the Red Sox' success over the past 5 1/2 seasons has been in spite of Francona. I didn't think he was a bad manager, but he has had his share of questionable decisions over the years, and, as with any manager, he's only as good as the players he puts on the field.

But this season seems a little different. He has worked the bullpen to perfection, having to cover for spotty starting pitching most of the season. He's gotten everybody playing time dealing with the usual injuries to J.D. Drew, a DL stint for Youk and the loss of Jed Lowrie.

Tito has even been able to somewhat hide the biggest weakness of this team - it's anemic play at shortstop. He has finally stopped giving Julio "The Pig" Lugo the benefit of the doubt and used Nick Green (who has turned into "The Pig Jr.") to at least get by.

Even the Big Papi situation has been handled well so far. Francona stuck with him in the 3-hole as long as he could and now he's bought a little more time for Ortiz to try to break out of it.

The good thing is I think we all know that management won't wait much longer before pulling the trigger on deals to fix the DH and shortstop problems.

If Papi comes out of it and Lowrie comes back and plays well, maybe they'll just make some minor deals, but if one or neither of those things happen, expect something much bigger with the Sox giving up more than just Brad Penny.

Sox Salvage One in Toronto

2009-05-31T21:53:00.000-07:00

Sunday's 8-2 win in Toronto may have been one of the biggest of the season.

Not only did the Sox avoid the sweep and gain a game on the Yankees and Rays, but they may have finally got Jon Lester going.

Lester was overpowering, striking out a career-high 12 Blue Jays while allowing just 1 run in 6 innings. He was also able to avoid that one bad inning that has plagued him all season.

With the way Beckett has pitched in his last two starts, we may finally be seeing that potent 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation that we all expected coming into the season.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 8, Blue Jays 2

Terry Francona decided to shake up the lineup for this one and it definitely paid off. While I'm not sure I agree with dropping Elssbury to 8th, I understand they want to have the guys with the highest on-base percentages at the top of the order and Ells still has just a .335 OBP despite his hot hitting of late.

Everybody in the lineup had a hit except for Tek, but he did walk three times. Youk hit two solo homers, Bay smashed his 15th of the season and Dustin's huge 3-run shot off the foul pole in the 4th proved to be the game-winner.

It would be nice to see Dustin go on one of those 25-for-50 streaks.

As we enter June, management's patience with David Ortiz has to be running thin. Even though he hit a few balls hard over the weekend, Papi still looks lost at the plate. This can't go on much longer.

Beckett, Tek Keep Sox in 1st

2009-05-29T09:22:00.000-07:00

The Sox were able to gain a split of the 4-game series in Minnesota Thursday thanks to the second straight great start from Josh Beckett and two Jason Varitek home runs.

Beckett went 7 innings allowing just a 2nd-inning solo home run to Joe Crede while striking out 8. This follows his dominant 8-inning performance against the Mets last weekend. Hopefully this is the Beckett we will see the rest of the season.

Tek made sure Beckett's solid outing wouldn't be wasted this time with two big home runs. His shot in the 5th tied it at 1-1 and his mammoth blast in the 7th that went into the upper deck over the baggie in right was the game-winner.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 3, Twins 1

The Captain also stuck up for his pitcher in the bottom of the 7th after two terrible calls by home plate umpire Todd Tichenor. Tek popped up from behind the plate and got in Tichenor's face to argue the balls. He was rightfully tossed from the game, but enabled Beckett to finish the inning.

Tichenor, who is a Triple-A ump filling in for the day, also tossed Terry Francona on the play and had throw out Twins catcher Mike Redmond and Manager Ron Gardenhire in the top of the 7th after they argued a blown call he made on a sac fly.

Hideki Okajima was outstanding again pitching a scoreless 8th and Paps got back on track to get the save.

Jacoby Ellsbury had his 22-game hitting streak snapped, but Ells still reached base on a hit-by-pitch and continues to hit the ball hard.

David Ortiz looked pathetic at the plate once again and showed his frustration after striking out in the 6th by breaking the bat over his knee.

I think the Sox need to give him one more week to show some life and they it's time to come up with a mysterious injury that puts him on the DL so they can send him back to Florida for extended spring training.

That would probably be better than going to the minors because if he gets sent down and can't hit minor-league pitching that could be devastating. Sadly, I don't think we're ever going to see the Big Papi we've all come to know and love over the past five years.

Penny's Days in Boston May Be Numbered

2009-05-26T10:27:00.000-07:00

We're a little over a quarter of the way into the season, and somehow the Red Sox are in first place.

Brad Penny had his third decent outing in a row and the top five guys in the order (which didn't include David Ortiz) pounded the ball enough to give the Sox the series-opening win in Minnesota on Memorial Day.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 6, Twins 5

The Sox have been able to climb into first place even though they do not have a reliable starting shortstop, have gotten inconsistent -- and for the most part pretty bad -- starting pitching, and their DH and No. 3 hitter in the lineup has been nonexistent.

So should we be happy about this and think that it will only get better or be concerned that they can't keep this up?

I don't know if anyone has that answer, but if they do start to slip in the standings you can be sure management will be quick to make some moves.

Now there is talk that Penny will be traded before the July 31 deadline and it seems to make a lot of sense considering John Smoltz is close to being ready and Clay Buchholz seemingly has to be promoted to the big club after another dominating performance in Pawtucket.

I think I'd rather see the team trade Penny for an average player instead of dealing Buchholz for a top prospect that may or may not pan out. As the old adage goes -- you can never have too much pitching.

If Ortiz doesn't come out of this funk, however, (and like I've said before, I don't think he will) the team may be forced to unload one of its stud young arms to get a power bat back in the lineup.

Luckily Youk, Bay, Dustin, Ells and Lowell have been able to carry the offense so far and the bullpen has been stellar, picking up the starters when they've needed it.

If they can make another deal like the Coco Crisp for Ramon Ramirez steal then they have to do it. Who knows where we'd be without Ramon right now.

Pitching, Pitching, Pitching

2009-05-19T21:36:00.000-07:00

In real estate they say it's location, location, location. Well, in the game of baseball it's all about the pitching, pitching, pitching.

Tuesday night the Sox got a much needed dominant performance by a starter. Tim Wakefield, the oldest and best starting pitcher for the Red Sox this season, was outstanding going 8 solid innings, giving up 5 hits, 3 Ks, 2 walks and 1 earned run.

The lone run came courtesy of a Kevin Millar home run. If someone is going to hit a home run against the Sox, he's the one player I don't mind see doing it.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 2, Blue Jays 1

The offense wasn't at its best tonight but, fortunately, two runs was enough to win the game. Both runs came in the second inning from unlikely sources.

Bailey got the scoring started with a single driving in Lowell and Kottaras scored Drew with a sac fly.

One important note is Jacoby Ellsbury got two hits in four at-bats raising his average to .305. Ellsbury is a huge factor on how the Red Sox offense performs this season. If Ells can get on base consistently the Sox should be one of the top offenses once again.

Wednesday's pitching matchup is Penny vs Cecil. Hopefully the Sox can get another solid effort out of a starter. GO SOX!

Other notes: Youk is expected back for Wednesday's game. ... Papi was 0-for-3 with 2 strikeouts dropping his average to .203. ... Michael Bowden threw 8 scoreless innings for the Paw Sox on Monday lowering his ERA to 0.86.

Wasted Day in LA

2009-05-14T23:10:00.000-07:00

What a frustrating loss. The Red Sox wasted chance after chance and finally lost to the Angels 5-4 in 12 innings as they dropped two of three in L.A.

I am now convinced that David Ortiz is never going to hit another home run in the Majors. It's one thing to get off to a slow start, but this is ridiculous.

Big Papi was 0-for-7 to drop his average to .208 and he left 12 men on base. He is lost at the plate and he shouldn't even be in the lineup right now -- forget about batting third.

The Sox were 3-for-23 with runners in scoring position and stranded 17 overall despite getting 15 hits.

BOX SCORE: Angels 5, Red Sox 4, 12 innings

It's amazing that the Sox are actually 21-14 and just one game out of first place considering they have the worst starting pitching in the league, their No. 3 hitter and DH has no home runs, and they've battled a variety of injuries to key players.

Brad Penny actually pitched pretty well after giving up three runs in the first three innings, but his days in the rotation might be numbered with Dice-K getting close to a return, Smoltz getting close to making his Red Sox debut and Buchholz tearing it up in the minors.

We can look at this two ways -- either it has to get better or it's a sign of things to come. Hopefully the pitching will come around, the guys will get healthy and if Ortiz doesn't start hitting by the end of June, Theo will go out and find a replacement.

Maybe the most amazing thing from Thursday's game was Julio Lugo getting five hits. "The Pig" still has a ways to go to shed his pig label, but if he continues to hit .350 that is a good start -- although I still worry any time a ball is hit his way.

Dustin also had a 4-hit game in his first game back from injury which was nice to see.

Hideki Okajima and Ramon Ramirez were outstanding in relief again as the bullpen continues to be the strength of the team.

What a Night!

2009-05-10T23:28:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a great night to be a Boston sports fan.

First the Bs get two goals from Phil Kessel and a shutout from Tim Thomas as they played their best game of the series against Carolina and force a Game 6.

The Glen "Big Baby" Davis hits two clutch jumpers in the final minute including the game winner at the buzzer as the Celts even their series with Orlando.

Then the Sox get two big doubles from David Ortiz and Jason Bay to break a 3-3 tie in the 8th inning and Jonathan Papelbon strikes out the side with two runners on and no outs in the 9th to preserve the 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

We couldn't have scripted it any better.

The win allowed the Sox to take two of three from the Rays and stay even with Toronto in the loss column for first place in the AL east.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 4, Rays 3

Josh Beckett had a decent start allowing three runs in six innings, but once again the bullpen was the story.

Hideki Okajima continued his lights out pitching with a perfect 1 2/3 innings and then Ramon Ramirez got the only batter he faced before turning it over to Paps for the save.

With the way the starting pitching has struggled so far, the bullpen may need to keep this up if the Sox want to be playing in October.

Bay keeps coming up with big hits. Is there anyone who isn't happy about the trade now?

The injuries continue to be a concern, however, as Youk is still out and now Pedroia looks like he might miss some time with a groin injury. Francona said he may only miss one game so hopefully both guys will be back on the West Coast swing.

Another Yankee Game, Another Win

2009-05-06T09:23:00.000-07:00

Can we play the Yankees every day? After a fairly easy 7-3 victory Tuesday night in New York, the Sox improved to 5-0 against the Yankees this season.

The New York fans were booing the Bronx Losers -- especially Mark Teixeira -- and calling for Joe Torre's return.

With all the empty seats in the stadium and the Yankees getting waxed night after night, the games in New York now feel a lot like those from the mid 80s when the Sox routinely dominated the Yankees.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 7, Yankees 3

Jason Bay's 3-run bomb off Joba the Hut got the Sox off to a great start in this one and they were able to hold on.

Josh Beckett was good enough getting through 6 innings and turning it over to the bullpen from there.

And the bullpen came through again. If you want to point to one major difference why the Sox are soaring and the Yankees are floundering it is the bullpens.

The Red Sox used two relievers -- Hideki Okajima and Takashi Saito -- who pitched three perfect innings Tuesday night. The Yankees were forced to use six relievers who allowed three runs over 4 1/3 innings.

The Teixeira deal falling through may have been the best thing to happen to the Sox this offseason. Not only were they able to keep Mike Lowell who is off to a great start, but they were also able to add quality depth to the pitching staff and we all know pitching and defense win championships.

Jacoby Ellsbury had to leave the game with a tight hamstring and Youk sat out with a stiff back. Hopefully the injuries are minor, but why do baseball players seem to always get these little nagging injuries? How about playing through some pain once in awhile?

Finally, I just have to say I hope we've seen the last of Jeff Bailey on the big club. He is a stud in the minors, but it looks like he just can't handle the pressure of the Big Show. He looked horrible in the field last night and overmatched at the plate again.

Sox Win Their 1st Game at New Yankee Stadium

2009-05-05T09:27:00.000-07:00

We're back after a few days off. The Sox got another win from Tim Wakefield and a couple more losses to the Rays over the weekend. It's strange how Tampa can look so bad against the rest of the league and then when the Red Sox come to town they are back in championship form.

Monday night the Sox made their first trip of the season to New York and continued their early season dominance of the Yankees.

The Sox scored single runs in the first four innings and held on from there. Jon Lester had an excellent outing with the exception of two pitches in the 5th inning which the Yankees hit out for back-to-back homers.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 6, Yankees 4

Jason Bay's towering home run in the 7th off the left field foul pole to extend the lead to 6-3 was huge. It gave the Sox a little breathing room -- and they needed it -- and set up the bullpen to close it out.

Jonathan Papelbon gave up a few baserunners, but was able to get the 5-out save blowing away Nick Swisher and Robinson Cano with the tying runs on base to end it.

Maybe the best sign of the night was David Ortiz pulling two balls down the line for doubles. He's still not hitting for power, but it was good to see him turn on a couple instead of flaring everything to left.

Thankfully Nick Green was playing shortstop and made a couple very nice plays that Lugo never would have. The Sox haven't won a game when The Pig has started and his shoddy play in the field has had a lot to do with it. Keep The Pig away!

Blown Away in Tampa Bay

2009-05-01T10:11:00.000-07:00

There's not much to say about Thursday night's debacle except the Red Sox were completely embarrassed.

The Rays had been struggling coming into the game, but it looks like the Sox bring out the best in them.

The Sox couldn't touch Matt Garza again and were lucky to even get the one infield hit by Ellsbury.

BOX SCORE: Rays 13, Red Sox 0

Much more disturbing than the lack of offense is another brutal start from Josh Beckett. In his last two starts he's allowed eight and seven runs, respectively, and his ERA is now 7.22.

Besides his dominating opening-day performance vs. the Rays, he has been terrible.

Javy Lopez got lit up again and hopefully will be sent down to the minors or released soon.

The Sox need to win tonight and tomorrow with Masterson and Wakefield going so they can split the 4-game series since Brad Penny, who will be lucky to make it through five innings, is pitching on Sunday.

Rally Allows Sox to Take 2 of 3 From Tribe

2009-04-30T13:14:00.000-07:00

Trailing 5-0 after four innings, things didn't look good for the Sox Wednesday night, but two runs in the 6th and three in the 8th set the stage for extra-inning heroics from Jonathan Van Every.

You know things are going well when a a guy like Van Every comes up with a game-winning home run. Van Every's bomb to dead center gave the Sox a 6-5 win over Cleveland as they head to Tampa and New York for two big early season series.

To make the moment even sweeter, it was his first career home run.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 6, Indians 5, 10 innings

Mike Lowell continued his hot hitting with two more hits and Tek continues to be a pleasant surprise at the plate with a couple more hits. He's hitting .250 now which is about all we can ask.

As usual the offense goes as Jacoby Ellsbury goes and he had three more hits. He's such a huge key to the offense. When Ells gets on base everything changes. It would be nice to see him walk a bit more though as his .323 on-base percentage is very weak for a leadoff hitter.

On the mound, Jon Lester had another puzzling outing. He looked good at times throwing in the mid 90s, but he allowed two more home runs and five runs in six innings.

That makes three out of five starts that Lester has been hit pretty hard. Hopefully he can regain his consistency soon as he needs to be the pitcher that he was last season.

The bullpen came through with four shutout innings, although Manny Delcarmen and Hideki Okajima made things interesting, and Jonathan Papelbon shook off a couple of shaky appearances with a strong 10th inning.

On Tuesday night, the return of Julio "The Pig" Lugo coincided with the end of the Red Sox' 11-game win streak. Lugo actually looked very good at the plate hitting a couple line drives and knocking in a run, but his pathetic fielding cost the Sox big time.

Another guy challenging Lugo for top pig status is Javy Lopez. He continues to get into trouble, and in this one he couldn't catch a perfect toss from Youk covering the bag in the 9th which allowed the winning run to score for the Indians.

With the depth the Sox have in the bullpen and Hunter Jones emerging as another solid lefty, it might be time to cut ties with Pigpez.

Brad Penny had another terrible outing and his days in the rotation may be numbered with Dice-K close to returning and Smoltz about a month away.

Bay's Blast Lifts Sox to 11th Straight Win

2009-04-28T09:23:00.000-07:00

Jason Bay has become Mr. Clutch. His 3-run homer off of Cleveland closer Kerry Wood broke a scoreless tie and allowed the Sox to steal the first game of this series on a night when it looked like they might not score at all.

Bay is now 10-for-20 with 4 homers and 10 RBIs from the 7th inning on this season, and the last two game-changing homers have come off elite closers in the 9th inning. Manny who?

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 3, Indians 1

Tim Wakefield was masterful again, holding the Indians to just a 1st-inning single over seven innings. Unfortunately he didn't get the win in this one, but he lowered his ERA to 1.86.

The Sox need to ride this hot streak he's on because we all know Wake is a streaky pitcher and it's just a matter of time before the knuckler stops cooperating for him.

Manny Delcarmen had another perfect inning of relief and has become very reliable this season. Paps had a shaky save, allowing a run. Hopefully this is just a little bump in the road for him.

As for the offense, the Sox apparently got into Cleveland in the wee hours of the morning and it looked the team was sleepwalking until Bay's bomb in the 9th.

Cliff Lee might have had something to do with the lack of offense too, but it was good to get a win when the bats didn't produce much.

David Ortiz had two more hits to raise his average to .238, but the lack of power is still very concerning. Also, he seems to be hitting a lot of balls to left field. I wonder if teams will stop using the shift against him so much.

It was good that Francona just didn't put Julio "The Pig" Lugo right into the lineup just because he's back on the roster. He should have to earn his job back considering how well Nick Green has played and how bad Lugo was last season.

How Sweep It Is

2009-04-27T10:16:00.000-07:00

The weekend series against the Yankees couldn't have gone any better. After two crazy games Friday and Saturday, Sunday's game was a little bit more of a traditional one with one major exception -- Jacoby Ellsbury's straight steal of home!

That was the exclamation point of the series and definitely sent a message to the Bronx Losers.

Not only did the Red Sox sweep the Yankees, they beat them every possible way and embarrassed them in the process. The Yankees will say it's only April and it doesn't mean that much, but these games count in the standings just as much as games in September.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 4, Yankees 1

Justin Masterson had an other excellent start and how about the rookies coming out the bullpen to preserve the lead.

Hunter Jones got both of the batters he faced in the 6th and Michale Bowden looked like Papelbon out there completely shutting down New York in two perfect innings.

Then to have the luxury of bringing in Takashi Saito -- a proven Major League closer -- when Paps needs a day off is huge.

The depth of the Sox' pitching staff is amazing. Just wait till Smoltz is ready and they still have Buchholz and Bard waiting in the wings.

The offense came up with enough against Pettitte to get the job done. It was nice to see Big Papi at least knock in a couple of runs. Hopefully that first home run will come soon and he'll get back on track.

We couldn't have asked for a better homestand after the 2-6 start. Now it's time to keep it going as the Sox start a tough 9-game road trip against the Indians, Rays and Yankees. Don't screw it up Lugo!

Sox Win Slugfest With Yankees

2009-04-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

So this is how it's going to be? I don't know if we can take this 17 more times.

I didn't think they could top Friday night, but the Red Sox did their best Saturday erasing a 6-0 deficit in the 4th and a 10-9 deficit in the 7th to beat the Yankees again.

How shocking was it that Jason Varitek hit a grand slam off A.J. Burnett and then Jacoby Ellsbury tied it with a solo shot off him?

We can go on and on about big hits and big plays in this one. Besides those two huge homers, Mike Lowell's 3-run homer in the 7th put the Sox ahead for good and his bases-clearing double in the 9th finally sealed it.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 16, Yankees 11

Dustin went 3-for-3, Youk was on base all day again and scored four runs, and J-Bay went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and three RBIs. I wish we could face the Yankees pitching every day.

Josh Beckett had his second straight disappointing start and now we have to be concerned that he's going to be more like the 2008 Beckett instead of the 2007 version that we were hoping to see.

All of the pitchers struggled, but it was just one of those days. Delcarmen probably looked the best allowing 2 unearned runs in 1 2/3 innings while stirking out three.

The biggest thing about this one was that we were able to get to Burnett who usually dominates the Sox.

Also, it's a good sign the the Sox are off to an 11-6 start after winning nine straight even though David Ortiz is struggling and there has been suspect pitching.

Let's hope Julio "The Pig" Lugo doesn't screw it up when he joins the team on Monday.

Youk's Walkoff Homer Completes Comeback

2009-04-25T00:58:00.000-07:00

Now that's the way to open the 2009 version of The Rivalry. What a crazy game and a great ending.

For 8 1/2 innings this one looked it would go down as one of the most frustrating losses in recent memory. Then J-Bay blasted a 2-run moon shot off Mariano Rivera with 2 outs in the 9th to tie it, and Youk hit bomb over the Monster in the 11th to give the Sox a 5-4 win over the Yankees.

Even though it's only April, this had to be a tough loss for New York.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 5, Yankees 4, 11 inn.

They were in total control after the Sox couldn't cash in on chance after chance all night. The Red Sox hit into four double plays in the first five innings and squandered two bases-loaded opportunities against Joba Chamberlain.

David Ortiz and J.D. had particularly bad games. Drew was 0-for-4, hit into two double plays, left seven men on base and couldn't come up with a running catch on a fly ball that led to the Yankees taking a 4-2 lead in the 7th.

Ortiz continued to flounder at the plate, going 1-for-6 with four strikeouts while looked really bad all night. The word is he's lost his bat speed. If that's the case, he may not be able to come out of this slump.

Despite all this, the Sox were still in the game. There were some grrat plays along the way -- Mike Lowell's spectacular diving catch in the 5th and Jason Bay's diving catch in the 7th that saved a run.

Manny Delcarmen allowed the Sox to stay within striking distance by cleaning up Hideki Okajima's bases-loaded no outs mess in the 7th.

Dustin Pedoria started a 4-2-3 double play in the 9th when the Yankees were threatening to break the game open with the bases loaded and no outs again.

Dustin also made an unbelievable diving stop on Derek Jeter's drive up the middle in the 10th that saved the game.

Bay's smash off Rivera will be one that's remembered for a long time. It looked like a Jim Rice bomb from back in the late '70s. The Sox need to lock up Bay now, just like they did Youk and Dustin.

Youk was on base all night too and is the early-season MVP at this point.

If the next 17 games against the Yankees are anything like this one, we're in for quite a season.

Don't Boo Teixeira

2009-04-22T01:04:00.000-07:00

No one epitomizes the Evil Empire more than Mark Teixeira. He is the perfect Yankee and the anti-Red Sox. He is all about himself and money.

The fact that the Sox were outbid by the Yankees for him this offseason will turn out to be a good thing in the long run, just like when the trade for Alex Rodriguez was blocked and A-Roid eventually ended up in New York.

If the Sox had won the bidding war for Teixeira we'd be stuck with this overpaid loser who's never won anything in his career, and 2007 World Series MVP Mike Lowell, a class act by all accounts, would be playing elsewhere.

With Teixeira set to make his first appearance in a Yankee uniform at Fenway this weekend, the fans will be geared up to greet him with a chorus of boos saved only for the most hated of rivals.

But let's think about this for a minute. Should we really be booing this guy? We say, let's cheer him for not coming to Boston.

Sure, he is a selfish pig that plays for our arch enemy and deserves to be booed, but most athletes thrive on negative reaction from opposing fans.

Anyone who has played competitive sports knows that other than making a great play in front of your home fans, the best feeling you can have is to make a game-changing play on the road to silence the other team’s crowd.

The Red Sox' epic comeback against the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS was due in part to Boston's ability to finally get to New York closer Mariano Rivera.

The following season, opening day at Fenway featured another Red Sox–Yankees game. After the Sox received their World Series rings, the Yankees were introduced and the Red Sox fans gave Rivera a standing ovation.

He thought it was funny and tipped his cap. The Red Sox won that game 8-1 and the team and the fans have been in Rivera's head ever since.

We are Baseball's Best Fans for a reason -- because we know the game and have an effect on it. So let's give Teixeira something to think about as he walks back to the dugout after striking out yet again.

Spread the word by forwarding this on to any Sox fans who will be going to Fenway over the weekend and check out our poll at redsoxnews.bostonstenth.com.

The Hub of the Sports World

2009-04-20T12:48:00.000-07:00

Even though it's 85 degrees and sunny here in SoCal, today is one of those days I definitely miss being back home.

There's nothing like Patriot's Day in Boston. Every year we would get up early and head to the 11 a.m. Sox game and then come out and catch some of the runners coming through Kenmore Square.

This year it's even better as the Celts have a playoff game at the Garden and the B's look to take a commanding 3-0 series lead over the hated Canadiens in Montreal tonight. It doesn't get any better than this.

As for the game, it was a perfect day to complete the sweep of the Orioles, which the Sox did with a 12-1 rout.

Justin Masterson filled in beautifully for Dice-K giving the Sox exactly what they needed -- 5 1/3 innings and 1 run.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 12, Orioles 1

The offense took care of the rest as Jacoby Ellsbury led off with a double and it was off to the races from there. Ells ended up with three hits, raising his average to .268.

There was a Big Papi sighting too. Ortiz doubled off the wall in the 1st and tripled to deep left-center in the 6th. What a welcome sight it was to see Papi finally driving the ball. Now we just need to see a couple go out of the park and we'll feel a lot better about things.

Dustin Pedroia crushed the ball all day ending up with 4 hits, 3 runs and 3 RBIs. Mike Lowell continued his good homestand with a couple more hits and even Tek hit one over the Monster.

If only we could play the Orioles every day.

The only negative on the day was Rocco Baldelli leaving the game with a tight hamstring. I still don't agree with Francona batting Rocco fifth -- ahead of Bay and Lowell -- when he plays for Drew. Hopefully it's nothing serious, but with his and Drew's injury history, the Sox may need to find a right fielder to fill in for a little while.

Sox, Lester Back on Track

2009-04-19T22:04:00.000-07:00

Now that's the Jon Lester we expected to see coming into the season.

A dominating seven innings of shutout ball by Lester led the Sox to their 4th straight victory, 2-1 over the Orioles Sunday.

Lester struck out nine and more impressively didn't walk a batter while throwing in the mid 90s all day. This was a huge boost to the staff. Lester can be one of the best pitchers in the league and the Sox need him to perform like that, especially with the injury to Dice-K and the uncertainty surrounding Brad Penny.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 2, Orioles 1

Jacoby Ellsbury actually had a couple of hits. Imagine how good the offense would be if he could just hit .280 with a .350 OBP.

But the big hits in this one came from Nick Green and Dustin Pedroia. Green, who has been a pleasant surprise filling in for Jed Lowrie and Julio Lugo at shortstop, roped a double off the wall with one out in the 5th and then scored on Dustin's clutch two-out single to give the Sox the insurance run they would later need.

Green might be playing himself into the everyday considering Lowrie may be out for the season and Lugo will likely be a pig again when and if he returns.

It's nice to see Mike Lowell getting back into the groove also. He came through with a two-out RBI single in the 2nd after going 2-for-4 with an RBI on Saturday. Lowell also made a nice running catch on a pop up showing that he is close to being fully healed from the hip injury.

As usual Fenway has cured all that had ailed the Sox offense, except David Ortiz who took the collar again with two strikeouts. I know it's still early, but this is getting more concerning by the day.

Takashi Saito had a shaky 9th inning but was able to get the save as Francona decided to give Paps the day off after pitching two days in a row.

On Saturday, Josh Beckett had five strong innings and one bad one, but the Sox were able to pull out a 6-4 victory thanks to Kevin Youkilis' continued early season tear.

Youk mashed a 3-run homer in the first, added two more double en route to a 4-for-5 day and once again showed that he is a legitimate cleanup hitter.

Offense Picks Up Penny

2009-04-17T21:21:00.000-07:00

Home cooking was just what the doctor ordered -- sort of.

The Sox offense woke up putting up a 10-spot as the Red Sox erased a 7-0 2nd-inning deficit to beat the Orioles 10-8.

Brad Penny, who was making his second start for the Sox, was brutal. He looked good in the 1st and was throwing in the mid 90s, but he completely lost it in the 2nd. He looked uncomfortable on the mound and it seemed like he was holding the ball too long in his delivery.

Penny had already allowed three hits, three walks and three runs in the inning when Nick Markakis came up. He couldn't find the plate and probably should have been taken out right there, but instead he gave up a grand slam and the Sox were in a huge hole.

But the Sox came right back with 4 runs in the bottom of the 2nd and this one was on its way to being an old-fashioned Fenway slugfest.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 10, Orioles 8

The inning could have been even bigger, but David Ortiz again couldn't do much with the bases loaded and one out. His sacrifice fly made it 7-4, but it sure would have been nice to see a Big Papi grand slam right there to tie it.

Terry Francona decided to leave Penny in after the Markakis grand slam. He actually got out of the 2nd and made it through the 3rd unscathed before he was pulled after walking the leadoff man in the 4th.

The bullpen took over from there and was outstanding.

Manny Delcarmen came in and immediately gave up a run-scoring double, but shut down the O's after that giving the Sox a chance to get back in the game.

Delcarmen ended up pitching 2 2/3 scoreless innings. Ramon Ramirez came in next and was excellent again.

He gave up a couple hits in the 8th though and Hideki Okajima came on to get out of it. That was a great sign for Okajima who had been struggling.

As the bullpen kept the Orioles at bay, the offense kept chipping away. J.D. Drew homered in the 3rd and then with the bases loaded and two outs and the Sox trailing 8-6, Nick Green came up with biggest hit of the game and of his short Red Sox career.

Green doubled off the left-center-field wall to tie it. At that point, everyone in the park knew the Sox would complete the comeback which they did in the 6th on a Jason Bay sacrifice fly and a Mike Lowell RBI-single.

Jonathan Papelbon was overpowering in the 9th and that was that.

Hopefully this was just a minor setback for Penny. Maybe he was a little nervous in his first start at Fenway.

The other troubling sign Friday night was how pathetic Ortiz continues to look. Peter Gammons is already talking about the Sox possibly going after Miguel Cabrera or Matt Holliday. If Ortiz is done, you can bet management will act quickly to get another big bat in the lineup.

One more note from Friday night's game -- can we please not see the two-socks hat anymore. It might be OK for fans to wear, but it just doesn't look right on the field. The alternative uniforms are OK -- I like the blue jersey better than the red -- but the only thing that should be on the front of the cap of a Boston Red Sox player is the traditional "B" for Boston.

Wake Sends Sox Home on a Good Note

2009-04-16T09:27:00.000-07:00

The Red Sox needed this in a big way. Tim Wakefield flirted with a no-hitter on his way to a complete-game victory to salvage the final game of the series in Oakland.

Not only was this huge because the bullpen was depleted from Tuesday night's 12-inning loss, but it was the first game since opening day that the Sox were in control from the start and looked like the team that we thought they would be heading into the season.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 8, A's 2

Now they have something to build on as they open a 9-game homestand Friday.

Wake had the knuckler dancing all day as Oakland's hitters couldn't figure him out until finally getting a hit in the 8th and putting up solo runs in the 8th and 9th.

The offense -- other than the top of the lineup -- finally woke up a bit too.

J.D. Drew belted a 3-run shot after getting 3 hits the night before. Mike Lowell also homered and had his second straight 2-hit, 2-RBI performance.

Now if they can just get Ellsbury, Pedroia and, more importantly, Ortiz going, all will be well in the Nation.

If the Sox would have just put Dice-K on the DL before his pathetic 1-inning, 5-run start Tuesday, they probably would have won two of three from the A's. But at least the team recognized the problem right away and the rest will hopefully get Dice back on track for the rest of the season.

In the meantime, having Masterson and Buchholz or even Daniel Bard to step in is a nice luxury to have.

Sox Sink Lower in Oakland

2009-04-14T09:47:00.000-07:00

After losing the first two series' of the year, the Sox hoped to get off to a good start in Oakland Monday night. Instead they played their worst game of the young season losing 8-2.

This one was over after the 2nd inning when Jon Lester allowed 5 runs. It was the second straight poor outing for Lester, and we can now add him to the grwoing list of players to be concerned about.

BOX SCORE: A's 8, Red Sox 2

The only good thing to say about his performance is that he didn't walk anybody. He gave up 10 hits and 6 runs in 6 innings though. Coming off of last year's outstanding season, most of us expected big things from Lester. His velocity is there, however, so I think he will be fine -- I hope.

With the Sox down 5-1 in the 5th, it was kind of nice to see Nomar drive one down the line for a home run. Up until 2004, there was no one more beloved by the Sox fans and will get a well-deserved ovation when he returns to Fenway in July.

On offense, Youk continues to the only guy doing anything. He slammed a home run in the 2nd to give the Sox a 1-0 lead, but Lester quickly gave it back.

Youk added a double later and is one of the hottest hitters in the league to start the season.

The rest of guys aren't even worth talking about. Pedroia, Ortiz, Lowell and Drew just look like crap at the plate right now. It's hard not to worry about Ortiz and Lowell starting to decline for good.

Rocco replaced Ellsbury at leadoff. I think that was a good idea for one game, but it's not a permanent solution. Rocco looks like a good addition to the club though.

It's not time to panic just yet, but the level of worry has been raised from "it's early" to "somewhat concerned."

Dice-K really needs to earn his $55 million tonight.

Benches Clear, Sox Slump in Anaheim

2009-04-12T21:47:00.000-07:00

I know it's only the first week of the season, but how many frustrating losses can we take?

The Sox blew a 2-0 lead, let a AAA pitcher off the hook and couldn't get a big hit when it counted Sunday afternoon in a 5-4 loss to the Angels.

BOX SCORE: Angels 5, Red Sox 4

The Sox have now dropped both of their first two series -- although they were against playoff teams from last year -- and have to head to Oakland where they historically struggle.

Josh Beckett took the loss allowing 4 runs in 6 innings. He sparked a bench-clearing incident in the bottom of the first when he threw one close to Bobby Abreu's head after Abreu called time at the last second as Beckett was about to throw his pitch.

It probably wasn't right for Beckett to throw one up near Abreu's head, but it was bush-league for Abreu to call time that late (the ump probably shouldn't have granted it), and Abreu is a punk so he probably deserved it.

The Angels completely overreacted and made the situation worse than it should have been. At least none of the Red Sox players were thrown out so there won't be any suspensions.

Back-to-back home runs by Kevin Youkilis and J.D. Drew in the 2nd got Boston out to a 2-0 lead, but Beckett couldn't hold it and the Sox found themselves behind 4-2 after 5 innings.

The Red Sox scratched out a run in the 6th, but Mike Lowell struck out with runners on first and third to end the threat.

In the 7th, the Sox wasted a leadoff double by Jason Varitek (who's actually swinging the bat surprisingly well so far) and then for some reason Terry Francona decided to bring in Hideki Okajima to face Vlad Guerrero to start the 8th.

Guerrero of course smashed one over the bullpens. That was a huge run to give up as the Sox rallied in the 9th but fell short when J.D. Drew struck out looking with the tying run on second base.

How 'bout swinging the bat? It would have been nice to pinch hit for Drew in that situation, but they didn't have a right-handed bat on the bench. That may be something the team needs to address.

Nick Green saw his first action of the year and had 2 hits and was hit by a pitch. He may need to play more if he shows he can hit consistently.

Big Papi had a couple of hits and finally drove the ball in the gap, but Ellsbury, Pedroia and Lowell continue to struggle in the early going.

Bay Blasts Sox Back Into Win Column

2009-04-11T21:09:00.000-07:00

After a couple of frustrating losses where it seemed like no one could come up with a clutch hit, Jason Bay and Mike Lowell finally came through with big hits as the Red Sox beat the Los Angeles Angles 5-4.

Lowell's 2-run homer in the 5th might have been the biggest hit of the early season as it tied the game and seemed to get the offense going.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 5, Angels 4

Brad Penny gave the lead right back in the bottom of the inning, but Bay bailed him out with a 2-run shot down the left-field line in the 7th to give the Sox a 4-3 lead.

His insurance home run in the 9th -- to almost the exact same spot -- turned out to be huge as Jonathan Papelbon struggled in the 9th giving up a solo home run and loading the bases before finally getting the save.

Penny was decent in his first start for the Sox. He was throwing in the 93-95 mph range and had a couple of easy innings, but Mike Napoli touched him for two solo homers and the Angels scratched out a run on a walk and a couple of groundouts in the 1st.

Penny should be able to build on this and did pick up the win.

Ramon Ramirez was outstanding in relief again and Terry Francona made the right move leaving him in for the 8th and then bringing in Papelbon for the 4-out save.

Rocco Baldelli chipped in with a couple of hits and Jason Varitek looks much better than he did last season, but the lack of production at the top of the order is a concern.

Dustin Pedroia will start hitting soon, but Jacoby Ellsbury looks really bad at times and David Ortiz just doesn't seem to be able to drive the ball like he used to. If those two trends continue, the Sox may need to make some moves.

On Friday night, the Sox had the unenviable task of having to play the Angels the day after the tragic death of Nick Adenhart.

The offense started slowly against Angels starter Jered Weaver and never was able to get into the game dropping the series opener 6-3.

After trailing 6-1 they rallied in the 8th for 2-runs, but J.D. Drew couldn't come up with the big hit to keep it going.

Tim Wakefield struggled through 6 innings, giving up 3 runs on 6 hits and 5 walks and Justin Masterson sealed the loss by giving up 3 more runs in the 7th.

On Thursday, Daisuke Matsuzaka was up to his old tricks giving up 3 home runs and throwing 100 pitches in 5 innings as the Sox couldn't overcome a 4-0 deficit and lost 4-3 to the Rays.

Kevin Youkilis had 3 hits and Tek homered in the 9th to make it a 1-run game, but the rally ended there.

The Sox actually had a chance to at least tie it in the 8th after Lowell doubled to make it 4-2. But with 2 outs and men on second and third, Jed Lowrie struck out. That's two games in a row that Lowrie has come up in key spots late in the game and Francona let him hit.

Lowrie is a good fielder, but he is not a major league hitter yet and struggles against hard throwers so there is no excuse for Francona not pinch hitting in those situations. Hopefully that trend won't continue.

Rays Ruin Lester's '09 Debut

2009-04-09T10:25:00.000-07:00

Well the Sox aren't going undefeated.

A lackluster effort by Jon Lester, some very questionable umpiring and managing, and untimely hitting led to a 7-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Lester looked good at times, but he was undone by a 4-run 4th inning that included a perfectly executed hit-and-run by the Rays, a missed pop up by Jed Lowrie and a botched squeeze play by himself and Jason Varitek.

Home plate umpire Bob Davidson didn't help either. He was brutal all night consistently calling pitches 6-8 inches off the plate as strikes. The Sox hitters never adjusted and it cost them in the end. Several players including the usually mild-mannered Jason Bay and Jed Lowrie complained about the calls.

BOX SCORE: Rays 7, Red Sox 2

Despite battling the tough Rays pitching and the umpire most of the night, the Sox still had a chance in the 8th as they loaded the bases down 6-2. But Terry Francona allowed Lowrie to bat against the hard-throwing Grant Balfour instead of pinch hitting J.D. Drew or even Chris Carter.

Lowrie struck out and that was the game.

Rocco Baldelli got the start for Drew. That move made sense with Kazmir on the mound for the Rays, but why was Rocco batting 5th? There's no way he should be hitting ahead of Bay and Mike Lowell. Hopefully Francona won't make that mistake again.

Takashi Saito made in inauspicious debut for the Sox allowing a home run to the first batter he faced - Evan Longoria. That could be a good sign for the Sox though as Hideki Okajima suffered the same fate in his first appearance with the Sox in 2007 and he's done pretty well since.

Beckett, Sox Open Season In Style

2009-04-08T10:10:00.000-07:00

Opening day was worth the wait.

It didn't take long for Josh Beckett to show he was back to his 2007 form, as he mowed down the Tampa Bay Rays in the first inning en route to a masterful performance in the Red Sox' 5-3 victory.

Beckett dominated the Rays. If this is a sign of things to come the Sox will be in very good shape.

Dustin Pedroia picked up right where he left off smashing a Monster shot on the second pitch he saw to get the Sox offense off to a good start. Dustin should be motivated to prove that last season was no fluke. That could spell trouble for the rest of the American League.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 5, Rays 3

Kevin Youkilis snapped out of a horrible slump against Rays starter Scott Shields with two hits and Jason Varitek continued his Spring Training momentum by hooking one around the Pesky Pole for his first homer of the season.

What a beautiful sight that was for Sox fans. If Tek can hit even .250 with double-digit home runs that will be a huge boost to the offense.

Jacoby Ellsbury was the only guy not to have a hit. Hopefully Ells will get it going soon since he is such a huge key to the offense and if he gets off to a slow start Terry Francona may be forced to move him from the leadoff spot which disrupts the entire offense.

Jonathan Papelbon was overpowering in the 9th after a shaky 8th by Hideki Okajima forced Justin Masterson to come in and get out of a jam.

All in all it was a near perfect start at Fenway for the Sox.

Sox Set Rotation, Lineup

2009-03-30T23:14:00.000-07:00

With less than one week before opening day, the Red Sox have set up their starting rotation and are close to setting the lineup.

Josh Beckett was named the opening day starter and is poised to be the Ace of the staff once again.

He'll be followed, in order, by Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Tim Wakefield.

The Sox won't need a fifth starter until April 12 at the Los Angeles Angels. If all goes well, Brad Penny will likely be that starter, but if Penny has a set back between now and then Clay Buchholz may get the nod.

Either way, having Penny or Buchholz as your fifth starter has to be a great feeling for Terry Francona.

Penny has looked good in his two starts since returning from a sore shoulder, throwing in the mid 90s.

Buchholz has the been the team's best pitcher in the preseason with a 0.46 ERA. It would be ideal for the Sox to be able to send him down to Pawtucket to start the season and then have the luxury of bringing him up if there is an injury or someone is ineffective.

And in case the Sox are in need of another spot starter they always have Mr. Versatile Justin Masterson.

Masterson was arguably the most valuable pitcher on the team last season and will have a major role once again. He'll start out in the bullpen and likely will be the 7th-inning guy, getting the game to set-up men Hideki okajima and Takashi Saito before Jonathan Papelbon closes the door.

The Red Sox have never had such a deep and talented pitching staff which should take a lot of pressure off the offense.

But the offense is no slouch either.

The top four spots in the order are set with Jacoby Ellsbury leading off followed by Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis.

Francona is leaning toward batting J.D. Drew fifth, Jason Bay sixth and Mike Lowell seventh.

That order makes the most sense. If everyone is healthy, Drew belongs in the fifth spot to set up the left-right-left situation. Bay and Drew both run the bases well and that should help Lowell drive them in.

Again, any way they set the lineup, a combination of Drew, Bay and Lowell batting fifth, sixth and seventh in your lineup is a nice problem to have.

Jed Lowrie will bat eighth with Jason Varitek batting ninth. Hopefully they can contribute a little more than the bottom of the order did last year setting up Ellsbury and Dustin to do some damage.

Any way you look at the Sox will be a team to be reckoned with in 2009.

Thanks Schill, It Was a Great Ride

2009-03-24T10:01:00.000-07:00

From the first day he put on the Red Sox uniform and proclaimed that he hated the Yankees, Curt Schilling has had a special place in Boston sports lore.

Schilling announced his retirement Monday on his blog, 38pitches.com, and will forever be remembered as a warrior and a winner.

The Bloody Sock Game is one of the greatest and gutsiest performances in baseball and sports history.

Without Schilling, the Red Sox definitely don't win the World Series in 2004 and likely don't win it in '07 either.

In his final Major League Game, he allowed 1 run in 5 1/3 innings to get the win in Game 2 of the Red Sox' 4-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies in the 2007 World Series.

His numbers speak for themselves -- 216 career wins and a 3.46 ERA over 21 seasons. But where Schill really left his mark was in the playoffs.

In four of the five times his teams made the playoffs they advanced all the way to the world series, winning it three times. His 11-2 postseason record is the best all-time and his 2.23 ERA in 133.1 innings is pretty damn good too.

He and Randy Johnson were co-MVPs of the 2001 series when the Diamondbacks beat the Yankees in seven games. Schilling started Games 1, 4 and 7, pitching at least 7 innings in all three games, with at least 8 strikeouts in each outing and allowed 1, 1 and 2 runs, respectively, in the three games.

As we all know, Schilling loved to talk (and hear himself talk), but he always backed it up. He was 4-0 in five "win-or-go-home" playoff games.

He said he was going to bring a championship to Boston when he got here and he did. Even though he doesn't have the 300 wins that pitchers usually need to get an automatic pass to the Hall of Fame, his quality of wins and importance to his teams should get him to Cooperstown.

Hopefully when that day comes, he'll be enshrined wearing a Red Sox cap.

Dice-K WBC MVP Again as Japan Repeats

2009-03-24T09:35:00.000-07:00

The 2009 World Baseball Classic ended a lot like the inaugural Classic in '06 as Japan was crowned the champ again and Daisuke Matsuzaka was named the most valuable player.

Dice-K won three games for Japan allowing 4 earned runs over 14 2/3 innings. He is now 6-0 with a 1.95 ERA overall in the two WBCs.

Despite the U.S. getting bounced in the semifinals, the final between Korea and Japan was a compelling, exciting game. Ichiro's two-run single in the 10th inning was the game-winning hit as both teams made outstanding plays and came through with big hits throughout the night and the tournament.

The U.S. was decimated by injuries and didn't have its best pitchers. The key losses of Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis, who was leading the team in home runs before injuring his foot, were too much to overcome.

It was good to see the Red Sox players do well in the tournament, but now that it's over it's nice to have them back in camp getting ready for the season.

Even though Dice-K threw a lot of pitches and they were in much more stressful situations than would have been in Grapfruit League action, he should be fine for the season. And Youk and Dustin have returned from their injuries so it looks like the Sox came out of it relatively unscathed.

Two weeks to opening day!

Paps Rips Manny

2009-03-12T09:06:00.000-07:00

Jonathan Papelbon said what many people have believed to be true about Manny Ramirez since he forced the Red Sox to get rid of him last summer -- Manny was a "cancer" to the team.

It's about time someone called it like it was.

A lot of people questioned how the team could deal Manny when they did, but it was obvious they had no choice and Paps' statements in Esquire magazine back this up.

The Sox had no chance to even make the playoffs had Manny stayed on the club and continued to drag them down with him. It was the classic case of addition by subtraction.

"It just takes one guy to bring an entire team down, and that's exactly what was happening," Papelbon told Esquire. "Once we saw that, we weren't afraid to get rid of him. It's like cancer. That's what he was. Cancer. He had to go. It [stunk], but that was the only scenario that was going to work. That was it for us."

Lowell Returns to the Field

2009-03-12T08:57:00.000-07:00

Mike Lowell made his long-anticipated return to the Red Sox lineup Tuesday and had a base hit in three at-bats.

Lowell was the designated hitter in his first game back since undergoing hip surgery at the end of last season.

The Sox will ease him back into action, but Lowell said he felt fine after the game.

He is expected to play third base on Thursday and be in the lineup on opening day.

Lowell added that he expects to play 150 games this season.

That would be a huge boost to the lineup and would solidify everyone's role in the offense.

Ortiz, Bay Bounced From WBC

2009-03-12T08:44:00.000-07:00

Looks like some of the teams in the World Baseball Classic weren't what we thought they would be.

In a stunning upset, The Netherlands beat the Dominican Republic for the second time in a week and knocked the Dominicans out of the tournament.

With their backs against the wall on Tuesday, the DR started David Ortiz at first base. Papi didn't make any mistakes in the field and went 1-for-4 at the plate with a double.

As a Sox fan, I don't mind Ortiz going back to join the club in Florida for the rest of Spring Training rather than risking injury by playing first base for his country in games that matter.

Canada and Jason Bay were also booted from the tournament. They lost to Italy in another upset.

Only 12,000+ fans showed up at Toronto's Rogers Centre for the elimination game, showing they really do only care about hockey up north.

Bay was 2-for-2 with a double and knocked in the only two runs for Canada. He batted .500 during the tournament and looks to be in mid-season form.

Red Sox Lock Up Lester for 5 Years

2009-03-08T22:40:00.000-07:00

Jon Lester and the Red Sox have agreed to a five-year, $30 million contract extension with a $13 million team option in 2014, according to Yahoo Sports.

This is a huge signing for the Sox.

Lester is already one of the top 10 pitchers in the league and probably the best lefty in the American League. Add in the fact that he is just 25 and will be coming into his prime over the length of the contract and this singing looks like another major coup for Theo Epstein.

The Sox now have three of their most important young players -- Dustin Pedroia (six years), Kevin Youkilis (four years) and Lester -- locked up for the next several years creating an outstanding nucleus to build around.

Lester was 16-6 with a 3.21 ERA last season and is 27-8 with a 3.81 ERA in 59 career starts.

He also has a 2.25 ERA in 36 post-season innings, won Game 4 of the World Series sweep of the Colorado Rockies in 2007, and, oh yeah, he tossed a no-hitter against the Kansas City Royals at Fenway on May 19, 2008.

While the Yankees continue to throw obscene amounts of money at injury-prone free agents and mortgage their future so much that they have no depth to fill in for starters that get injured (A-Roid), the Red Sox continue to make smart investments on proven young players that will help the team for years to come.

Sox Players Impacting WBC

2009-03-08T22:14:00.000-07:00

One thing is evident after just a few games of the 2009 World Baseball Classic -- Boston Red Sox players will have a dramatic affect on this year's tournament.

The Sox organization has 12 players involved in the tourney, including Major League players Jason Bay (Canada), David Ortiz (Dominican Republic), Daisuke Matsuzaka (Japan), Javier Lopez (Puerto Rico), Dustin Pedroia (USA) and Kevin Youkilis (USA).

Big Papi had a key RBI base hit in the Dominican Republic's win over Panama in an elimination game Sunday.

Dice-K got the win in Japan's 14-2 rout of Korea on Saturday. He went 4 innings allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 2.

Matsuzaka, who was the MVP of this event in 2006 when Japan won it, wasn't at the top of his game, but it was a decent outing for his first game and for Sox fans, as long as he comes through the tourney unscathed we'll be happy.

Bay had 3 walks and a run scored in Canada's loss to the U.S. on Saturday, but he flew out to right for the final out with the tying run on second base.

Dustin and Youk have played major roles in the U.S. advancing to the second round with wins over Canada and Venezuela.

Pedroia only has 2 hits in 11 at-bats, but he had a huge 2-run double to help the team pull away in Sunday's win over Venezuela. He also has made some spectacular plays in the field.

Youk is proving he is the cleanup hitter the Sox hope he will be. He went 3-for-8 in the two games with 3 RBIs and 7 runs scores, and he homered in both games.

In Saturday's win over Canada, his homer tied the game after the U.S. fell behind early. On Sunday, his two-run bomb was the icing on the cake in the team's 8-run 6th inning. He has now become the cleanup hitter for the club too.

It's still strange to see Dusty and Derek Jeter teaming up on double plays and high-fiving each other, but it's a little easier to take since Jeter isn't wearing that sinister Yankees hat.

Injuries Will Be The Key

2009-03-05T08:59:00.000-08:00

Spring training is only a couple weeks old, and we've already had our first J.D. Drew back injury update.

Along with the chronically injured Drew, there's also word that new starting pitcher Brad Penny is suffering from shoulder soreness and Mark Kotsay - who could play a major role for the team due to injuries - won't be ready for that start of the season as he recovers from back surgery.

Add in the fact that nobody really knows how healthy Mike Lowell and David Ortiz will be or if new fourth outfielder Rocco Baldelli will be available enough to fill that key spot and there are legitimate concerns heading into the season.

Injuries in every sport often are the key to winning and losing, and the one thing the Red Sox have done better than anyone during this decade is stocking the roster with quality depth in case of injuries.

This season is no different. The additions of Penny and John Smoltz - who also won't be able to pitch until the end of May as he recovers from shoulder surgery - should really strengthen the pitching staff.

The Sox also bolstered the bullpen this offseason with quality pitchers such as Takashi Saito and Ramon Ramirez, making the pitching staff one of the best in the Majors.

Having the versatile Justin Masterson available to start or come out of the pen is a huge boost as well.

The offense is a different story, however. Since Manny Ramirez was rightfully traded last summer, all we've been hearing about has been the lack of power in the middle of the lineup. It is a valid concern, but one that can be overcome as long as the team is healthy.

Ideally, the Sox wouldn't want Kevin Youkilis batting cleanup, but that looks like the best option at this point. And if Youk can put up numbers like he did last season (.312, 29, 115) that will quiet all the naysayers.

If Ortiz is healthy - and all indications are that he is - Youk's numbers should actually improve as he will get to see a lot of good pitches.

Lowell and Drew can have a huge impact on the lineup as well. The fact that Drew is injured shouldn't surprise anyone at this point. He always misses significant time during the season. Maybe it's best that he gets it out of the way and can be ready for the stretch drive and the playoffs.

The biggest question mark may be Lowell. Even if he is ready to start the season - which is no guarantee at this point - will he return to his World Series MVP form or will he be more like the guy the Florida Marlins couldn't give away in 2005?

Lowell is a consummate professional and will put in the work to be ready. Let's just home father time doesn't catch up to him.

There are a lot of factors that go into winning a championship, but injuries may be the biggest and every team has to deal with them. Just ask the Yankees and A-Fraud, err A-Rod, who reportedly needs hip surgery that will keep him out at least 10 weeks.

And if the Sox are struggling and have some key injuries, you can bet that Theo Epstein will make some moves to fill whatever holes the team may have during the season.

Tek Finally Comes to His Senses

2009-01-31T09:56:00.000-08:00

Jason Varitek is back where he belongs.

It took longer than it should have and caused Tek's reputation to take a hit, but the Red Sox catcher -- and more importantly their captain -- is back with the team after singing a 1-year, $5 million deal.

This was the only place that Tek could play after his money-grubbing agent Scott Boras grossly misread the market.

Now that Varitek is back in the fold, it seems that the Sox' roster is set heading into Spring Training. Although, a trade for another catcher is still not out of the question.

The combination of Varitek and Josh Bard seemingly leaves the Sox pretty weak at catcher, but maybe Bard will revert to his 2006 form and maybe Tek will hit almost exclusively right-handed and have an offensive resurgence.

Whatever happens, it just seems right that Varitek is behind the plate, just where the pitching staff wants him.

Welcome back Cap! We're glad you never left.

Note to Tek - Dump Boras

2009-01-27T10:58:00.000-08:00

I think it's safe to say that all of Red Sox Nation loves Jason Varitek and what he's meant to the club for the past 12 seasons.

Even though his skills are declining and he is somewhat of a liability in the lineup at this point in his career, we still want him back behind the plate for the 2009 season and hope he retires in Boston.

And I would guess that Tek has enjoyed his 12 seasons with the Sox, is proud to be the Captain of the team and wants to continue playing in Boston.

So what the hell is the problem here? Two words: Scott Boras.

After completely misjudging the free-agent market for catchers and giving his client the worst possible advice to opt out of his contract instead of going to arbitration which would have guaranteed Tek $10 million for this season, why does Boras still have a job as Tek's agent?

I know Tek is a very nice guy, but come on. My 8-year-old son could have done a better job negotiating for Tek.

It's also no surprise that another Boras client, Manny Ramirez, can't find anybody to accept his ridiculous contract demands either.

Boras completely botched the Manny situation, first having him quit on the team to force his way out of Boston and then thinking no one would care about how he treated the team when it was time for him to hit the open market.

Why would anyone sign him for $100 million for 4 years? Boras is insane! And now the only team that wants him, the L.A. Dodgers, is offering him a more than fair 2-year contract worth $45 million and he's still holding out for more years and money. Jackasses! Manny and Boras deserve each other.

Varitek, on the other hand doesn't deserve to be led right out of the league by this guy. It's time to wake up and smell the roses Tek. Boras isn't getting you anywhere but a seat in the stands watching as the season begins. Get rid of the pig!

Sox Continue to Round Out Roster

2009-01-13T10:43:00.000-08:00

Even though the Red Sox haven't made splashy moves this offseason like a certain rival about 450 miles south of Boston has, they continue to make solid, low-risk, high-reward acquisitions to bolster the roster.

The latest and best deal so far is the signing of future Hall-of-Famer John Smoltz. Boston could not have added a better quality pitcher to the roster.

Smoltz is coming off shoulder surgery, but all reports say he is heeled and could be ready to go to start the season, but the Sox will play it safe and likely hold him out until some time in May.

After 22 seasons with the Braves, Atlanta decided they didn't need the 41-year-old Ace. The Sox said thank you very much and scooped him up for $5.5 million for one year. The deal is packed with incentives and could reach $10 million.

This move is similar to the deal the Sox made with Curt Schilling back in '04, with the exception of the length of the contract, and we all know how that turned out.

Smoltz, who is the only pitcher ever to have more than 200 wins and 150 saves, says he feels great, is excited to be in Boston and is looking to pitch more than one season.

His postseason numbers are some of the best ever. He's made an incredible 40 postseason appearances, 27 of them starts, and has a 2.65 ERA. He was the starting pitcher for the Braves in the epic 1991 World Series Game 7 against the Minnesota Twins which the Twins won 1-0 in 10 innings. Smoltz had a 1.26 ERA in two starts in what was his first World Series.

He's a perfect fit and will combine with Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka and newly acquired Brad Penny to form the best starting staff in baseball.

His versatility is also a huge boost for the Sox. If they need to move him to the bullpen he has experience as one of the best closers in the game.

The Sox also added Rhode Island native Rocco Baldelli as a fourth outfielder, and former Dodgers closer Takashi Saito to the roster, and resigned Mark Kotsay for $1.5 million. Again all low-risk, high-reward signings.

Baldelli was one of the top prospects in baseball when he came up with Tampa Bay in 2003. He has a .281 career average with some pop and speed. He will be a great replacement for J.D. Drew when he gets his annual injury.

Keeping Kotsay is another nice move as he can play first base and the outfield. With a bench featuring Baldelli, Kotsay and Julio "Pig" Lugo, all guys that would start for most teams, the Sox seem to be well-positioned to weather any injuries that may arise this season.

Saito was one of the top closers in the National League in his three seasons with the Dodgers, posting 81 saves and a 1.95 ERA despite missing much of last season with an elbow injury.

He will be an excellent insurance policy in case something happens to Jonathan Papelbon, and will combine with fellow Japanese reliever Hideki Okajima to form a nice right-left set up man combination.

The only question mark remaining for the roster is catcher. The Sox are having discussion with the Diamondbacks about Miguel Montero. He's a decent prospect with some power, but it would be pretty risky to go into the season with him and Josh Bard as the catching tandem.

Boston is still pursuing a possible trade with Texas for Jarrod Saltalamacchia also. If they can pull off a deal with the Rangers, "Salty" would be a nice addition. There is still the possibility that the team will bring back Jason Varitek as well.

The old saying says pitching and defense wins championships and it looks like the Sox have built a winner judging by their depth and experience in these departments.

Jim Ed Gets the Call From the Hall

2009-01-13T10:16:00.000-08:00

After waiting 15 agonizing years, Jim Rice finally got elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The question remains, however, what the hell took so long?

Rice's numbers for his entire career (.298, 382 home runs, 1,451 RBIs) may not have been jaw dropping, but when you consider how baseball statistics have been tainted by performance enhancing drugs, they were pretty damn good.

The other factor for Rice was consistency. From 1975-'86, he belted at least 20 home runs and had least 85 RBIs every season except the strike-shortened 1981. He finished in the top 5 in the MVP voting six of those seasons and won the award in 1978 with a monster year (.315, 46 HRs, 139 RBIs).

He was an 8-time all-star and the most feared hitter in the game in the late '70s, averaging .320 with 41 homers and 128 RBIs from 1977-'79.

Rice becomes the fourth Hall of Famer to have spent his entire career with the Red Sox, joining fellow left fielders Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski, along with second baseman Bobby Doerr.

In his rookie season Rice and Fred Lynn formed the dynamic duo known as "The Gold Dust Twins" leading the Sox to the World Series. Lynn won the MVP and Rookie of the Year awards, but Rice was a close second for Rookie of the Year and 3rd in the MVP race.

I still say if he hadn't broken his wrist in late September and missed the entire postseason the Red Sox would have beaten the Reds in the classic '75 Series.

Rice will be overshadowed again at the HOF induction as he will be going in with Rickey Henderson. Rickey was easily the greatest leadoff hitter and base stealer of all-time and will undoubtedly have an entertaining speech. The fact that 28 writers left Rickey off their ballots again shows how stupid some of these guys are and how archaic the process is.

State of Red Sox Nation

2009-01-05T10:21:00.000-08:00

As we start the new year and look forward to the 2009 baseball season, we first need to look back on 2008.

Considering the lofty standards set by the 21st Century Red Sox, 2008 could be considered a failure since the team didn't reach the World Series. But upon closer inspection, it really was a pretty good season.

On offense, David Ortiz and J.D. Drew each played in only 109 games each, Mike Lowell started and finished the season on the DL, Jason Varitek suffered through the worst season of his career, Jacoby Ellsbury took a step back from his stellar rookie season, Julio "The Pig" Lugo was a complete bust, and Manny Ramirez quit on the team, yet these guys found a way to score 845 runs -- second in the AL only to the Texas Rangers.

With the exception of Curt Schilling missing the entire season, the pitching staff was relatively healthy, but also suffered its share of disappointments.

Clay Bichholz was awful, had to be sent back to the minors and now there are questions as to whether he is a legitimate MLB pitcher. Much of the bullpen was inconsistent, especially Hideki Okajima and Manny Delcarmen, and Josh Beckett looked a lot more like the 2006 Beckett (16-11, 5.01 ERA) than the 20-game winning stud he was in 2007.

Yet, despite all the problems, the Sox came within one game of reaching the World Series and possibly winning their third title in five years.

The positives were plenty.

Dustin Pedroia became a legitimate star, winning the MVP award and doing everything the team needed and more. Kevin Youkilis was as good and could have been the MVP (he finished third). Jason Bay came over from the Pirates after the team was forced to trade Manny, and became an immediate sensation putting up Manny-like numbers in his 49 games. And Jed Lowrie came up with several key hits as he proved he belonged in the Majors.

The pitching staff was led by the incredible Jon Lester who tossed a no hitter and established himself as arguably the top lefty in the American League. Despite driving everybody crazy with walks and high pitch counts, Daisuke Matsuzaka was solid the entire season going 18-3 and coming up big when the Sox needed him most. Justin Masterson was a huge surprise as a solid starter when needed and bridging the gap between the starters and the closer as a set up man. And Jonathan Papelbon was once again one of the best closers in the league.

Probably the best part of 2008 was the demise of the Yankees. New York never really challenged Boston and finished a distant third as as the tampa Bay Rays established themselves as the new team to beat in the AL East and a budding rivalry between the Sox and Rays was born. I still can't believe the Sox lost to the Rays in the ALCS, but it was just one of those magical years for Tampa.

With the Yankees being a total embarrassment last season, you knew they would come out swinging this offseason and that's exactly what has happened with their signings of the two top pitchers -- CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett -- and the top hitter -- Mark Teixeira.

In typical Yankee fashion they threw around money like it was paper and basically gave no other teams a chance in the bidding for these guys. The Teixeira signing was particularly painful because was seemingly headed to Boston and would have been a perfect fit for the Sox.

But, it's not as bad as it seems. I'm looking at the loss of Teixeira similar to the A-Rod saga. We wanted him and needed him, but was he really going to be the right fit for the team. There's no arguing that Teixeira is a good hitter and great fielder but he's a selfish, me-first player just like A-Rod. It's no coincidence that neither player's teams have ever won anything, and I'm willing to bet they never will.

Also, if you take a closer look at the Yankees' moves, Sabathia -- who the Sox have always hit hard and may eventually eat himself out of the league -- is replacing 20-game winner Mike Mussina, Burnett -- who always seems to be injured -- is replacing Sox-killer Andy Pettitte, and Teixeira is replacing Jason Giambi -- who always seemed to come up with huge hits in huge spots against the Sox.

Add in that New York lost Bobby Abreu, and Mariano Rivera, Hideki Matsui and Johnny "The Traitor" Damon are a year older and on the downslope of their careers and the Yankees look a lot like last year's 3rd-place squad.

So what can the Sox do to improve? They signed Brad Penny and Josh Bard. Count me as one of those not very impressed by either signing.

I understand both moves. Penny is a low-risk, high-reward acquisition. He was a stud a few years ago and is only 29, but he was awful and was hurt last year and that was in the National League. If he pans out it will be a great move, but don't expect too much.

Bard is a decent backup catcher, but that's all he is. I wouldn't even call him a platoon player, but that might be what he becomes.

The core of the team is returning. We still don't know what Tek will do, but my guess is he will return and hopefully will be more productive than last year. If Tek and Bard are the Red Sox catchers, that will be a definite weak spot for the team.

There hasn't been any talk about Lugo, but there's no way they can make him the starting shortstop again. He's brutal and the team might as well cut their losses and eat his ridiculous contract.

There aren't a lot of options out there, but maybe they could bring back 2004 hero OC (Orlando Cabrera) and see if he can rekindle some magic. That would allow Lowrie to be a utility man which is the role he should be in right now. If not, I think Lowrie could be an adequate shortstop.

The other big hole is the cleanup spot in the lineup. How about Pat Burrell? He's not the typical guy the Sox go after -- he strikes out a lot and doesn't have a high average -- but he's got power to protect Big Papi in the lineup and would be a great fill in when J.D. Drew makes his annual trip to the DL.

(UPDATE -- About an hour after this post reports came out that Burrell is signing a 2-year deal with Tampa. Looks like the Sox got beat to the punch again and again within the division. If they don't sign a hitter soon the offense could look a lot like the 2006 team that didn't make the playoffs.)

Maybe the Sox should put Ortiz back in the cleanup spot like in '04 and then put Bay or Youk in the No. 3 hole.

At this point we still have to trust Theo, Francona and the rest of the front office that they will make the right moves. They've earned that trust and I'm still confident that they will bring in some more guys that will round out this team and make it a championship contender again.

The biggest factors for a successful season as always will be health. If Lowell and Ortiz can bounce back from last season's injuries and the pitching staff -- which is now the strength of this team -- stays healthy, the Sox will be tough to beat.

It's only about a month and a half before pitchers and catchers report. Damn that sounds good!

Sox Lock Up Pedroia Through 2014

2008-12-03T13:02:00.000-08:00

Once again Red Sox management has shown its brilliance by signing the reigning AL MVP Dustin Pedroia to a 6-year, $40.5 million contract extension.

The deal means Dustin will be under contract in Boston through 2014 and reportedly there is a club option for 2015.

This is a great move and great news for Red Sox fans!

Pedroia is already one of the most popular players on the team and before his career is over he may end up being one of the best players in franchise history.

You can't argue with the numbers. In his two seasons with the Sox, Pedroia, who is still only 25, has a .313 average with a .369 on-base percentage. He has hit 27 homers, scored 209 runs and knocked in 140. Add in his .990 fielding percentage and what's not to like.

Besides being named MVP, he also won a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger award this past season. He was the 2007 AL Rookie of the Year and capped off that season with a starring role as the Sox won their second World Series in four seasons.

But it's not all about numbers with Dustin. He is already the heart and soul of this team and like I've said before, he will be the next team captain when Jason Varitek leaves or retires.

The fact that he signed the deal (which looks to be one of those rare contracts that's good for both the player and the club) so quickly shows how much he loves playing baseball and wants to be in Boston.

Like he always says, "It's all about winning."

Hot Stove: New Japanese Pitcher; Tek, Byrd Get Arbitration

2008-12-02T10:22:00.000-08:00

Reports say the Red Sox have agreed to a 3-year, $3 million contract with 22-year-old Japanese right-handed pitcher Junichi Tazawa.

The deal has not been finalized yet, but it has been widely reported and is expected to be official by the end of the week.

This could be another steal for the Red Sox. Tazawa is said to throw a fastball in the low-mid 90s. Scouts also say he's got good command of both a breaking ball and changeup, and the changeup reportedly has the action of a split-fingered fastball.

He has not played professionally in Japan, and some Major League teams and the Japanese league feel the Sox may have violated a gentleman's agreement that U.S. teams would not go after non-professional players.

Other teams were also involved in the bidding, however, so it's doubtful this will strain the relationship Boston has with the Japanese league.

Tazawa is expected to begin his career in the minor leagues, but he will be on the 40-man roster and could quickly make it up to Boston if he excels in the minors.

Team Hopes To Re-Sign Varitek

The Red Sox offered arbitration to two of their nine free agents Monday night -- catcher Jason Varitek and pitcher Paul Byrd.

Varitek is a Type A free agent and Byrd a type B. By offering arbitration, the Sox will receive compensatory draft picks if the players don't accept and sign with another team. They would get two picks for Tek and one for Byrd.

Both players are not expected to accept the arbitration and will seek more lucrative and longer deals through free agency. The Red Sox are still pursuing Varitek and even if he becomes a free agent he could still come back to the team.

It's tough to imagine Tek playing for another team, but if someone offers him big money for more than two years the Sox will likely let him go.

Alex Cora, Mike Timlin, Sean Casey, Curt Schilling, Mark Kotsay, Bartolo Colon, and David Ross were not offered arbitration.

Winter Meetings

Things are expected to heat up next week at baseball's Winter Meetings in Las Vegas. Several big impact free agents including CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and Manny Ramirez have been offered arbitration by their clubs, but all are expected to decline.

The key to everything still seems to be Sabathia. Once he signs -- likely with the Yankees or Angels at this point -- then the rest of the dominoes will fall into place as teams adjust their strategies on the fly.

The Sox still have their eye on Teixeira and some pitchers including Derek Lowe. You can be sure Theo Epstein will be very active, but as he has proved in recent years, he won't get sucked in by the lure of a big name.

M-V-Pedey!

2008-11-18T19:27:00.001-08:00

Congratulations to Dustin Pedroia, 2008 American League Most Valuable Player.

As amazing as that sounds, it is a well-deserved honor. Along with Kevin Youkilis, who finished third in the voting, Pedroia was the heart and soul of the team that overcame so much adversity to come within one game of reaching the World Series.

The numbers weren't spectacular, but they were very solid -- a .326 average with 17 home runs and 83 RBIs while establishing franchise records for a season by a second baseman in runs, hits, doubles, batting average, total bases, and extra-base hits. he also stole 20 bases in 21 attempts and did play a spectacular second base.

He hit all over the lineup and may have won the award when he was called on to bat cleanup for a week after the Manny Ramirez trade and went 12-for-18, driving the bal for power and filling the cleanup role to perfection.

In just his second year in the Big Leagues, Pedroia now has a trophy case full of hardware. He can slide the MVP award next to his Rookie of the Year award and World Series ring from last year and his gold glove and silver slugger award from this season.

Dustin becomes just the fourth AL second baseman to win the award -- the first since Nelie Fox in 1959 -- and 10th all-time. All of the other winners who are eligible for the Hall of Fame are in it.

When and if Jason Varitek retires or leaves the Sox, expect Pedroia to become the next captain of the team and hold that position for a very long time.

Congratulations Dustin on a job well done. Now it's time for Youk to build on his great season and win the MVP next season en route to the Sox reclaiming the World Series title.

Sox Can't Complete Comeback; Rays Head to World Series

2008-10-20T11:10:00.000-07:00

It wasn't supposed to end like this.

The storybook comeback that began in the 7th inning of Game 5 was supposed to be capped by a brilliant Jon Lester performance in the clinching Game 7 victory at Tampa Bay. Except no one gave Matt Garza and the Rays the script.

While Lester pitched well enough to win, the Rays were able to get to him for three runs after the 3rd inning and that was all they would need because the Sox offense was shut down by Garza most of the night.

When Dustin Pedroia hit a solo homer in the first to give the Sox the early lead it looked like it was going to be another great night, but that was the only hit they would get for a while.

BOX SCORE: Rays 3, Red Sox 1

Garza is good, but this game underscored the Red Sox problems - they need more consistent hitting in the middle of the order. Specifically, they need a big-time cleanup hitter to replace Manny Ramirez and they need to get David Ortiz back healthy and putting fear into opposing pitchers.

This team is still well-positioned to contend for the championship for the next several years, but with the Rays suddenly a force to be reckoned with, the Yankees still the Yankees and the Blue Jays' strong pitching, the lineup definitely needs an upgrade to hang in the toughest division in baseball.

With the uncertainty of Mike Lowell, the Sox may go after Mark Teixeira to play first and have Youk go back to third. They could use a new shortstop too and will likely need a new catcher.

Unfortunately Jason Varitek couldn't duplicate his Game 6 heroics in a couple of big spots in Game 7. But he shouldn't have been batting anyway.

As usual, Terry Francona let Tek bat in the 7th with runners on first and third with two outs, and with a runner on first in the 9th with one out.

There is no logical explanation for him batting in these two huge situations. The guy had one lucky hit in the series, was batting about .115 for the entire playoffs and has been a pig at the plate since May.

Francona's biggest fault is his loyalty no matter what the situation and that was the problem again with Tek. Even with a lefty pitching, you have to go to Sean Casey or even Jed Lowrie with the game on the line in the 7th. Maybe have Jacoby Ellsbury try to lay down a bunt in the 9th too. At least try everything you can instead of sending Tek up there to waive at the ball.

If this was Tek's last game for the Sox, it has been a great career for him in Boston. Despite his struggles this season he will always be loved and will go down with Carlton Fisk as the greatest catcher in the history of the franchise. It would be nice to keep him around as a backup if they can find a decent starting catcher, but that's not so easy these days.

One thing that was obvious in this series is that the Red Sox were beaten by a better team. The Rays deserve to be the American League champs.

So now there's a big void in out lives and the team is left to pick up the pieces and figure out their next move.

It was a very good year. Even with all the injuries and the ridiculous Manny drama, the team was able to persevere and make it to within one game of the World Series where they likely would have beaten the Phillies.

If everybody can get healthy - especially Beckett and Papi - and Theo Epstein can make a couple of key acquisitions like he always does, the Sox should be right back in the thick of it next season.

Sox Force Game 7

2008-10-19T09:38:00.000-07:00

(AP Photo)

It's on to Game 7 where anything can happen.

Josh Beckett wasn't his usual dominating playoff self Saturday night, but he had just enough to get through 5 innings and give the Sox a chance to win. Considering the way he's been pitching and his obvious health problems, it was a great performance.

Even bigger though was the two scoreless innings of releief tossed by Hideki Okajima. Okie Doke has been at his best just when we needed it and last night was no exception.

Those two innings allowed Terry Francona to stick to the game plan of only using Okajima, Justin Masterson and Jonathan Papelbon out of the bullpen, and set things up for Game 7 where all the top relievers will be able to go two innings if necessary.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 4, Rays 2

The Sox showed a lot of heart by bouncing back every time the Rays scored. First, Kevin Youkilis hit a home run in the 2nd to match the 1st inning homer by B.J. Upton (we might have to start walking this guy every time).

Then after the Rays tied it in the bottom of the 5th, Jason Varitek awoke from his slumber to hit a line drive homer which turned out to be the game-winner.

I don't think there could have been a more surprising hero in this one. Tek has been so pathetic. Every time he gets up you're hoping he just walks or gets hit by a pitch. But he somehow got the bat through the zone this time and came up with one of the biggest hits of the season.

The Sox added an insurance run on a David Ortiz single and the bullpen hung on from there.

It's nice to see Big Papi finally contributing and just in time.

Coco Crisp had another excellent game with 3 hits and a walk. He was on base all night and has taken over the leadoff spot from Jacoby Ellsbury. Having Ells on the bench is actually a huge luxury and may come into play late in Game 7.

J.D. Drew continues to hit the ball hard and Mark Kotsay continues his all-around solid play at the plate and in the field.

So it all comes down to Sunday night, Jon Lester vs. Matt Garza. With experience and history on our side, I like the Sox' chances.

Sox Pull Off Miracle Comeback, Send ALCS Back to Tampa

2008-10-16T22:21:00.000-07:00

(AP Photos)

Unbelievable! Just when you think you've seen it all the Sox rise from the dead and a 7-0 deficit with 2 outs in the 7th inning to beat the Rays 8-7 and force a Game 6 in the ALCS.

The quiet assassin J.D. Drew came through again. First he belts a 2-run bomb in the 8th to make it 7-6 then with 2 out in the 9th and runners on second and 3rd he rips the game-winner over the head of the right fielder and sends Fenway into a frenzy.

The grand slam against the Indians last year is still the biggest hit of his Red Sox career, but these two and the 2-run homer off Francisco Rodriguez in Game 2 of the ALDS have to rank right up there.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 8, Rays 7

Coco Crisp had the best at-bat of his Red Sox career with 2 outs in the 8th, fouling off pitch after pitch until he finally ripped a single into right to score Mark Kotsay with tying run. Coco also had a huge hit in the 7th when it was 7-0 to keep the inning alive for Dustin Pedroia who singled in the first run and set up David Ortiz for his big moment.

And finally Big Papi came through with a 3-run shot to right to make it 7-4. That was the moment that we started to believe this could really happen. From there Drew took over the game.

Daisuke Matsuzaka looked like he had decent stuff, but he gave up three big home runs to fall behind 7-0. Dice-K may be needed in a relief in a possible Game 7 so it probably wasn't a terrible thing that he didn't throw a ton of pitches in this game.

Down 5-0, Terry Francona brought in Manny Delcarmen to start the 7th after Hideki Okajima pitched 2 scoreless innings. Delcarmen inexplicably walked the first two batters and had to be pulled.

This time Francona didn't mess around and made the move to Jonathan Papelbon. That was a huge move for the Sox. Even though Paps gave up a 2-run double to B.J. Upton (can anyone get this guy out?), he was able to give the Sox two huge innings and keep the game close.

It was especially important that he shut down Tampa in the 8th after the Sox had cut the lead to 7-4. That gave the offense more confidence and a chance to keep the pressure on.

Mark Kotsay had a big game too coming up with a huge 2-out double before Coco's game-tying hit. Kotsay also made a couple of nice plays at first and has really come up big filling in at first with Mike Lowell out for the season.

Now it's on to Tampa where hopefully Josh Beckett can regain his playoff form. The only guys who should be pitching at this point should be the starter, Okajima, Justin Masterson and Papelbon.

Rays Rout Sox Again

2008-10-14T23:40:00.000-07:00

This one was over before it started. Tim Wakefield, who probably shouldn't have been pitching at all, gave up two homers in the first as any thoughts of the Sox evening this series faded quickly.

Everyone was worried how the knuckleballer would fare against the suddenly potent Rays lineup and they predictably hammered him.

Like Mike Timlin, Wakefield was a good pitcher for a long time for the Sox, but those days are over. Neither one of them should be on the roster let alone pitching in a must-win game.

In hindsight, the Sox probably should have started Justin Masterson and hoped the bullpen could come through after five or six innings.

BOX SCORE: Rays 13, Red Sox 4

It probably didn't matter anyway because the offense is just pathetic right now. They had one chance to make a game out of it when Mark Kotsay singled in the 2nd inning putting runners on first and third with one out, but Coco Crisp, who for some reason was batting 7th in the order, hit into a double play and the game was basically over from there.

I was all for Coco playing for the slumping Jacoby Ellsbury, but he has to either bat leadoff or ninth. Why would he be batting 7th? You want a guy with some pop batting 7th. Even Kevin Cash, who led off the next inning with a home run, would have been a better choice, but it should have been Jed Lowrie.

Now the Sox have to come up with another miracle comeback. After 2004 and 2007, I never count them out, but this series just doesn't have the feel that the others did. Last year against the Indians you could feel the Sox getting the momentum and the Indains buckling under the pressure. I'm not sure the Rays will blow this one.

But, if Dice-K can pitch like he did in Game 1 and send the series back to Tampa, and Josh Beckett can be the Beckett of old, then all the pressure will be on the Rays and Jon Lester would be pitching in Game 7. That seems so far away though Let's just hope we are still playing baseball this weekend.

Sox, Lester Bombed by Rays

2008-10-13T23:32:00.000-07:00

(AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

This wasn't supposed to happen. Jon Lester's run of scoreless innings in the postseason came to a screeching halt Monday as the Rays jumped on him for 5 runs and routed the Sox at Fenway.

All the fans, myself included, expected Lester to right the ship like he has so many times this season, and it looked like the Red Sox expected it as well.

It's hard to believe a team with as much playoff experience as the Red Sox may have been looking past any playoff game, but what other explanation can there be?

BOX SCORE: Rays 9, Red Sox 1

Lester just didn't have much from the start, but he did find a way to pitch into the 6th inning and give the team a chance to come back.

But the bats didn't come alive again, and now there has to be genuine concern about the lack of offense, especially the lack of big hits.

Jacoby Ellsbury looks like he's trying to hit a home run on every swing instead of just trying to get on base. I'll be very surprised if Coco Crisp isn't in center field on Tuesday.

David Ortiz continues to try to pull every pitch instead of just going with the pitch to the opposite field, and his lack of power is alarming.

Although Mark Kotsay has looked good in this series, the rest of the bottom of the lineup, Jason Varitek in particular, is pathetic.

Even Kevin Youkilis struggled Monday night.

Dustin Pedroia is tearing the cover off the ball, but he and Jason Bay can't do it all. The team has to start getting some clutch hits now or it won't matter who's pitching, the season will be over.

Paul Byrd pitched in mop-up duty as Terry Francona apparently wanted to save the rest of the bullpen for Tuesday. maybe that will payoff as the bulpen will likely be need with Tim Wakefield going in game 4.

This game did have a similar feeling to Game 3 of the 2004 ALCS when the Yankees handed our asses to us 19-8 setting up the historic comeback.

Let's hope this blowout will have the same effect on the team.

Rays Outlast Sox, Even ALCS

2008-10-11T23:19:00.000-07:00

(AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

What an unbelievable game. This one was every bit as good as a Red Sox-Yankees game, except for the ending of course.

As tough a loss as this was, the Sox did what they needed to do in splitting the two games in Tampa and now they have their Ace Jon Lester ready to go in Game 3.

There was so much to talk about in this one.

The best things were Dustin Pedroia breaking out of his slump in a big way, Kevin Youkilis continuing his torrid postseason, Jason Bay doing everything that Manny would be doing and more, and Coco Crisp having a very nice game.

Manny Delcarmen, Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon were great in relief again, but this one went too many innings.

BOX SCORE: Rays 9, Red Sox 8 (11 innings)

There were some very troubling signs Saturday night too.

Something must be wrong with Josh Beckett. He's a shell of himself and maybe shouldn't be pitching at all. Jacoby Ellsbury is all of a sudden in a horrific slump again, David Ortiz is trying to pull every pitch and has seemingly lost his power, and Jason Varitek is lost at the plate once again.

With all that being said, the biggest blunder of the night has to be bringing in and sticking with Mike Timlin. Timlin was a very good pitcher at one time - like in 1992 - but he's throwing batting practice to these guys now.

I was shocked when he was put on the roster and totally deflated when I saw him in the game in the bottom of the 11th. Even though the ump was brutal all night and missed two huge strike calls that would have helped Timlin, there's no way he should have been in that game.

And then when the Rays had guys at 2nd and 3rd with one out why wouldn't Terry Francona give Paul Byrd a chance? You knew Timlin couldn't get out of it. Not that Byrd is a stud, but at least try someone else.

Just another example of Francona being too loyal to a guy that just doesn't have it anymore.

Monday's game is gigantic now. Hopefully Lester will be as good as he has been and the Sox will regain control of the series. I expect Ellsbury to be benched with Coco leading off and playing center.

One last thing to mention ... is Sean Casey still on this team? Why doesn't he play at all? I would have pinch hit him instead of Drew for Varitek to lead off the 9th and then had Drew pinch hit for Ellsbury with Coco on 2nd and two outs.

Dice-K Dominates, Sox Take ALCS Opener

2008-10-11T01:26:00.000-07:00

Game 1 was a huge victory for the Red Sox as Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched like the big game pitcher we thought he would be.

What an outstanding effort to take a no hitter into the 7th and pitch into the 8th in the biggest game of the year. That was the guy that was the MVP of the World Baseball Classic.

It was pretty scary when he loaded the bases in the 1st, but at this point even when he gets in trouble we expect him to get out of it -- and he usually does.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 2, Rays 0

The offense did just enough to get the win. Youk's double in the 1st would have wrapped around the pole at Fenway. The big bounce off the turf cost the Sox a run.

Tropicana Field is brutal. From the catwalks and wires, to the low lights and the crappy turf, everything about that place is a joke.

Jed Lowrie came up with another big RBI and Mark Kotsay continues to make plays and make Theo Epstein look like a genius for seemingly getting him out of nowhere in late August.

I would have liked to have seen Hideki Okajima start the 8th instead of coming in with runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs. I was surprised Francona left Dice-K in.

Justin Masterson came up huge and Jonathan Papelbon looks as good as ever this postseason.

If Josh Beckett can regain his dominant playoff form and the Sox get to Scott Kazmir, Boston could easily end up taking both games in Tampa. And if that happens, you have to feel good with Jon Lester going in Game 3 at Fenway.

Bring On The Rays!

2008-10-08T11:18:00.000-07:00

(AP Photos)

What a way to end it! In typical Red Sox fashion, they get contriubtions from everybody and rookie Jed Lowrie drives home Jason Bay with the winning run in the 9th to send the Sox to the ALCS.

None of the 9th-inning heroics would have been possible if not for the performance of Jon Lester. What a big-time, clutch pitcher he is turning out to be.

Seven more shutout innings against the supposed best team in the American League have cemented his reputation as the new Ace of the Boston Red Sox.

Lester has supplanted Josh Beckett as the best pitcher on the team. When he goes out there, as a fan I feel like we have a great chance to win and I'm sure the players feel the same way. Even Beckett says Lester is the best pitcher on the team.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 3, Angels 2

The Sox got big contributions from the entire roster in the ALDS, and will need a similar effort to beat the Rays.

Mark Kotsay had a great game, hitting the ball hard a couple of times and making a couple of really nice catches. His shot down the line in the 9th would have won it except for a great catch by Mark Teixeira. Normally that might have deflated a team that had just surrendered a 2-run lead and had lost momentum, but not the Red Sox.

Lowrie hit the next pitch into right field and the celebration was on. He has come up with big hits all season and he did it again on Monday. And Jason Bay has done so many things to help this club win since he got here that he's arguably the MVP of the team since Aug. 1.

It was great to see Dustin Pedroia finally get something going with an RBI double off the wall in the 5th. You know Dustin won't get down on himself and I expect he'll have a big ALDS.

Now it's on to Tampa where the Rays pose a huge challenge. They are a very good team that won 10 of 18 vs. the Sox this season. They have excellent starting pitching and a solid bullpen, but didn't we say that about the Angels too?

The Red Sox have scrambled their rotation a bit, but they are well positioned for a long series. Dice-K will start Game 1 in Tampa followed by Beckett in Game 2, Lester will pitch Game 3 in Fenway with Tim Wakefield slated to pitch Game 4.

I think this was the best possible rotation considering the off days and rest needed and it lines up Beckett for Game 6 and Lester for Game 7 if necessary.

The big key to the series is the Red Sox experience and confidence. You can't replace that, especially in the postseason. It will be a tough series, but I expect the Red Sox to win in 6.

Beckett Bombs, Sox Turn Back to Lester

2008-10-06T10:02:00.000-07:00

Last night's game was one of those long, agonizing nights at Fenway.

On the one hand, the Sox had no business even being in the game as the Angels gave them a 3-run gift on Ellsbury's pop up in the 2nd.

On the other hand, they had so many chances and probably should have won the game, but ultimately couldn't come up with the big hit.

BOX SCORE: Angels 5, Red Sox 4 (12 innings)

The two biggest concerns from last night were Josh Beckett's poor performance and the continued lack of production from Dustin Pedroia.

The Sox can't win without either of these guys. Every time Pedroia hits the ball hard it's right at somebody. Hopefully he'll bust out of it tonight.

Beckett just didn't look like his usual dominant playoff self. The team says the injury didn't affect him. Maybe some added rest will help.

The other thing that was obvious last night is that Mike Lowell probably shouldn't be playing. He's a great player and it's admirable that he's trying to give it a go with his injury, but he's not the same guy at the plate or in the field and might be hurting the team more than helping.

I'd like to see Sean Casey (remember him) at first tonight with Youk playing third.

Game 4 is a must win situation. There's no way the Sox want to go back to Anaheim for Game 5, especially with Dice-K on the mound. Jon Lester has been brilliant all season and needs to come up with one more big performance. A couple of timely hits might help too.

Drew Sends Sox Back to Boston With 2-0 Series Lead

2008-10-04T23:05:00.000-07:00

J.D. Drew came through with his second biggest night in a Red Sox uniform as the Sox took complete command of the ALDS Friday night, and we were there to see it.

First he came up with a huge 2-out single in the 1st scoring David Ortiz and extending the inning for Jason Bay who followed with a mammoth 3-run homer to center.

As great as Manny Ramirez has been for the Dodgers, Bay has been just as good for the Sox. His two home runs in two postseason games have answered any questions that anyone might have had about his lack of experience in the postseason or in big games.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 7, Angels 5

Daisuke Matsuzaka was his usual self getting in and out of trouble but still giving the Sox a chance to win. The Angels were able to claw back into the game and tied it 5-5 in the bottom of the 8th.

Justin Masterson pitched well to get out of a jam in the 7th and Jonathan Papelbon was huge in the 8th allowing just one run to score after coming in with no outs and a man on third.

Big Papi led off the 9th with a double of Angels record-setting closer Francisco Rodriguez, setting the stage for Drew's heroics.

Aftre Youk made an out, Drew stepped to the plate and we were just hoping for a single to take the lead. But J.D. put the same swing on the ball that he did when he hit the grand slam in last year's ALCS against the Indians and it was the same result.

A bomb to dead center giving the Sox a 7-5 lead and sending the Red Sox fans in Anaheim into frenzy. All the Angels fans around us were in shock and wanted to kill us. We were going nuts.

Paps finished off the Angels in the 9th for a 6-out save and the Sox were headed home with a stranglehold on the series.

ALDS: Sox Draw First Blood

2008-10-02T11:04:00.000-07:00

We made the trek to the Big A Wednesday and we couldn't have scripted Game 1 any better.

Lester dominates, Ellsbury is all over the bases and making diving catches, Jason Bay hits a bomb, Youk makes a great play in the 8th to preserve a 2-1 lead, Lowrie gets a big hit and Big Papi drives in the insurance run in the 9th, and Paps strikes out the side to end it. Sounds good to me.

That was how the Red Sox were able to take Game 1 and take control of the ALDS.

It was a great game from the start and had the feel of a playoff game.

Jon Lester was outstanding and would have held the Angels scoreless if not Jed Lowrie's error. As long as Beckett is OK, it may have turned out to be a good thing to have him pushed back to Game 3 and Lester open the series.

Lester has become an Ace and as good of a big game pitcher as anyone.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 4, Angels 1

Jacoby Ellsbury keyed everything from the start with a leadoff double. Even though the Sox wasted that opportunity, it was a good sign for the offense.

He ended up going 3-for-5 with 2 doubles, a run, an RBI and 2 steals. He was on base all 5 times and was in the middle of everything all night.

Ellsbury has started the last seven postseason games and the Sox are 7-0 in those games. They also have now beaten the Angels in 10 consecutive playoff games.

The defense in the 8th was incredible. Ellsbury's diving catch on Teixeira's pop up to lead off the inning turned out to be huge as Guerrero and Hunter singled right after that, but Kevin Youkilis' play to throw out Guerrero at third was even bigger.

We had a perfect angle on Youk's play and he almost made a spectacular diving catch that likely would have been a double play, but then he just pounced on the ball, got up and fired it to Mike Lowell at third all in one motion and Guerrero was out by 10 feet.

Jonathan Papelbon looked strong in the 9th consistently hitting 95 and 96 mph. The bullpen will be rested, ready (and probably needed) for Game 2 with Dice-K on the mound.

No matter what happens in Game 2 the Sox can win this series at home, but it would be huge if Dice-K could come up with one of his better outings and send it back to Boston with a chance to sweep.

Let The Second Season Begin

2008-10-01T10:37:00.000-07:00

As the Red Sox prepare to open their title defense in Anaheim Wednesday night, we here at Boston's Tenth are confident that our boys of summer will come up big in their quest for back-to-back titles.

The Angels have the best record in the league and had their way with the Sox during the regular season, but this is a whole different animal.

The Red Sox have dominated the Angels in recent postseason series including a sweep in the ALCS last season, and until Los Angeles can get the upper hand in this series, Boston should be considered the favorite.

Consider the fact that everyone was concerned when the news came out about Josh Beckett having to be pushed back to Game 3 because of a strained oblique muscle.

Normally news like that about your Ace and one of the best postseason pitchers of all-time would send shock waves throughout the clubhouse, but not with this team. They just move Jon Lester - who might end up being even better than Beckett - to Game 1 and follow that with a guy who is 18-3 and has an ERA under 3.00 for Game 2.

Lester and Dice-K are the keys to this series though. If they can go deep into the games and get the Sox off to a good start the Angels will be the ones panicking when they get to Fenway for Games 3 and 4.

The top of the Red Sox order also must come up big and there's no reason to think they won't. Jacoby Ellsbury finished the season on fire, raising his average to .280, and Dustin Pedroia may be the best hitter in the league. If they do what they did in last year's playoffs there will be no stopping the Sox again.

Word Wednesday morning was that J.D. Drew says he's 100% and will start and Mike Lowell is in the starting lineup as well. That should be a big boost to the club too.

Despite the lingering questions in the bullpen - Jonathan Papelbon has to get his head on straight - the Sox look to be in good position. I look for Lester to be dominant in Game 1 and the Sox to roll from there and take this series 3-1.

Sox Still Eyeing Division Crown

2008-09-25T21:17:00.001-07:00

The Red Sox aren't ready to concede the AL East to the Rays just yet.

Jon Lester was outstanding, pitching 5 no-hit innings before allowing a run in the 6th, in his final tuneup before the playoffs begin next week.

Lester may be the key to Boston's playoff run as he is pitching like an Ace, but will be slotted behind Josh Beckett in the rotation giving the Sox possibly the best 1-2 punch in baseball.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 6, Indians 1

Jacoby Ellsbury remains red hot picking up two more hits, and Jed Lowrie busted out of his slump with two hits out of the 2-hole in the lineup.

Ellsbury is a huge key to get the offense rolling and if Lowrie can contribute that will be a huge boost to the bottom of the lineup.

Kevin Youkilis slammed his 28th home run of the season and has quieted all the critics who said he couldn't sustain his intensity over the course of a season.

Justin Masterson, Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon all pitched perfect innings in what was a preview of what we will see out of the bullpen in the playoffs.

Bring on the Angels

2008-09-25T01:08:00.000-07:00

(AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

The Sox pulled out a nice 1-run victory Wednesday night, but at this point all that matters is getting ready for the playoffs.

With the Rays rolling the Orioles again, Tampa has all but locked up the division meaning the Sox will be the wild card and will travel to Anaheim to open the playoffs.

While this will be a tough series, it may work to the Red Sox' advantage. The team will be able to set up the rotation to have Josh Beckett and Jon Lester pitch games one and two in Anaheim.

Even though the Angels have the best record in the American League and an excellent pitching staff, you have to like the chances of Beckett and Lester getting at least one win and maybe two.

Then they would have Dice-K pitch game three in Fenway where he is practically unbeatable. If the series goes four or five games then Beckett and Lester would be back on the hill for those critical games.

Not a bad way to go into the playoffs.

The other aspect of this is that no matter who has the home field advantage, if the Sox get past the Angels they will be favored to win the ALCS against Tampa, Chicago or Minnesota. With the depth and experience this team has, they will be a tough matchup for anyone.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 5, Indians 4

As for Wednesday's game, the offense struggled after putting up 4 in the 1st, but Jeff Bailey had a huge pinch-hit triple and scored the winning run on Mark Kotsay's double in the 8th.

J.D. Drew started in right for the first time in more than a month. He looked a little rusty, but did get a hit. It was good to just see him out there. Now if Mike Lowell can come back it will be a huge boost to the lineup.

The good thing about all the injuries is a lot of guys got a chance to play and if they're needed in the playoffs they'll be ready to go.

Sox Punch Postseaon Ticket

2008-09-23T21:02:00.000-07:00

(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

We're in! With their 5-4 victory over the Cleveland Indians Tuesday, the Red Sox assured themselves of the chance to defend their World Series title.

And to make the moment even sweeter, they eliminated the New York Yankees at the same time, ending the Yankees' consecutive season streak of making the playoffs at 13. Thanks to the Rays for helping to keep the Yankees down too.

As they have done all season, Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis keyed the Red Sox attack.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 5, Indians 4

Youk got things started with a 2-run shot off likely AL Cy Young award winner Cliff Lee in the 4th.

After Tim Wakefield ran into some tough luck and let the lead slip away in the 5th, the Sox came right back to get three runs in the bottom of the inning dealing Lee just his third loss of the season.

Pedoria ripped the game-tying 2-run double off the wall and later scored the game-wining run on Jason Bay's seeing-eye single up the middle.

The bullpen held on from there as Hideki Okajima bailed Manny Delcarmen out of a bases-loaded jam in the 7th and Jonathan Papelbon came on to get out of another bases-loaded jam in the 8th to record four outs for his 41st save of the season.

Once Alex Cora squeezed the pop up for the final out, the celebration was on and as expected, Paps was at the center of it. He didn't do his trademark dance (he must be saving that for the World Series) but he was all over the place and actually ripped out the three bases and handed them to fans who stayed to see the celebration.

Once again the players and fans of Boston show why we're the best sports town in America and have the best fans. How cool would that be to get a base from the game from Paps?

There was more good news after the game as Josh Beckett revealed he's feeling great, Mike Lowell said he expects to be ready for the start of the postseason, and the team said J.D. Drew took batting practice and looked and felt great.

Let's hope this is more than just talk as the team really needs these guys to produce in the playoffs.

It will be interesting to see what the playoff roster looks like. We all love Wakefield, but I don't know if I can stomach watching him float that ball up there in the playoffs.

I'm a little concerned about Jed Lowrie too. He's really struggling at the plate, but hopefully he'll see what Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury did as rookies in the playoffs last season and will step it up. There was even a pig sighting after the game as Julio Lugo was spotted celebrating with the team. No matter how bad Lowrie is playing, there's no way they can turn back to the pig.

Playoff Plans Still On Hold

2008-09-22T21:34:00.000-07:00

This had to be the most frustrating loss of the season. The Sox could taste the champagne, but couldn't catch a break or get a clutch hit and ended up dropping another 1-run game.

Boston had three golden opportunities to take the lead and win this game.

First, third base umpire Gerry Davis cost the team a run when with runners on first and second and two outs in the 6th, he couldn't get out of the way of Jeff Bailey's shot down the line. The ball hit Davis and bounced right to Indians third baseman Jamey Carroll who got Jason Bay in a rundown for the final out of the inning.

The ball likely would have gone down the line for a double or at worst bounced into short left field and allowed Bay to score to cut the deficit to 4-3. Why isn't that a dead ball and a ground rule double or at least a hit and bases loaded?

BOX SCORE: Indians 4, Red Sox 3

Also, why did Jason Varitek keep running on the play? Tek had to be able to see the ball right in front of him and had he stayed at second, Bay may have been able to get back to the base. Even if it was too late, Tek could have tried to get into a rundown to see if Bay could sneak home.

It just seemed like a bad play all around by Tek.

Then in the 7th, Kevin Youkilis came within a few feet of hitting a 3-run homer that would have given the Sox a 5-4 lead. The ball scraped the wall and Jacoby Ellsbury scored with David Ortiz going to third and Youk getting a double. The Indians then intentionally walked Bay loading the bases with one out.

Jed Lowrie then was caught looking at strike three and Mark Kotsay popped out. Lowrie and Kotsay need to step up in the absence of Mike Lowell and J.D. Drew. There's a big hole in the order after the 5-spot.

Finally, with Youk on first and two outs in the 9th, Bay lined a double down the left field line. I thought they were going to send Youk home, but the ball was hit too hard. The next batter Lowrie struck out again to end the game and a very frustrating night.

Josh Beckett didn't have his overpowering stuff either and couldn't hold the Indians to under four runs. Now the Sox turn to Tim Wakefield to try to clinch a playoff spot -- which is looking more like the wild card with Tampa winning again Monday night.

Maybe Wake can spin a gem to save his postseason roster spot.

Sox Set to Clinch Playoff Berth

2008-09-22T10:32:00.000-07:00

With a win Monday night, the Red Sox will clinch their fifth postseason appearance in the last six years.

After taking two of three from the Blue Jays, the magic number to secure the wild card is 1 and the Red Sox have Josh Beckett on the mound to get it done.

While the wild card is good, the division crown is still not out of reach. But should the Sox do everything they can to try to win the division or be happy they are in the playoffs and start setting up the rotation and resting guys?

I think if Boston can get tied with Tampa in the loss column by Thursday they should go for the division. Otherwise, the wild card will have to do. It's not like they haven't gone the wild card route and won in Anaheim before.

Daisuke Matsuzaka had an outstanding game Sunday, completely shutting down the Blue Jays after some typical early game trouble.

The difference this time was that Dice-K didn't continue to pitch in and out of trouble all game and was able to make it through 7 innings. This is exactly the type of performance the Red Sox will need in the playoffs.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 3, Blue Jays 0

Jacoby Ellsbury had three hits including a lead-off triple to set the tone for the game. Ells has started to heat up and will be huge for the club if he can carry this hot streak into the playoffs.

David Ortiz also has regained his power stroke and not a moment too soon. With the uncertainty of Mike Lowell and J.D. Drew's health heading into October, Big Papi will have to be bigger than usual.

Since the Yankees have won a few games in a row and are the closest team behind the Red Sox, it will be even better clinching the spot as Boston will also be eliminating New York from the postseason at the same time. Now that's the way to close Yankees Stadium and usher in the new era of substandard Yankee baseball and Red Sox dominance.

Sox Rally to Beat Jays, Close In On Playoff Berth

2008-09-19T23:09:00.000-07:00

Getting a win over A.J. Burnett has been no easy task for the Red Sox this season, but they found a way to do just that and keep pace with the Rays in the AL east race.

After falling behind 2-0, Kevin Youkilis delivered a clutch 2-out hit in the 5th to drive in Boston's first run. Sean Casey then drove one to right that just missed being his first home run of the season, but brought home Dustin Pedroia and Youk to give the Sox the lead.

Paul Byrd gave it right back in the bottom of the inning, but the bullpen pitched well the rest of the way and kept the Sox in it.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 4, Blue Jays 3

In the 8th, the Red Sox loaded the bases with one out and Jason Varitek's slow grounder brought home Jason Bay with the winning run. The Jason's have been doing a lot of that lately.

Byrd was average again, but he seems to do just enough every game to give the team a chance to win and not tax the bullpen too much. At this point, he has to be the No. 4 starter on the playoff roster ahead of Tim Wakefield.

The Sox have a chance to clinch a playoff berth this weekend with a combination of two wins or two losses by the Yankees and Twins. It will be nice clinching the spot and eliminating the Yankees at the same time.

Saturday's game features a great matchup between Jon Lester and Roy Halladay. If the sox can wrap things up this weekend they'll be able to set up the pitching staff and get some guys some rest heading into the playoffs. That will be huge no matter if they win the division or get the wild card.

Sox Look Like They're Heading to Anaheim

2008-09-18T00:20:00.000-07:00

After getting trounced in the series and season finale against the Rays Wednesday night, it's looking more and more like the Red Sox will be the wild card winner and play the Los Angeles Angels in the AL Division Series.

Tim Wakefield may have pitched himself off the playoff roster with his second terrible start in his last three outings. If the Sox make it to the ALCS where they will need four starters, I think I'd rather see Paul Byrd out there than Wake.

They may elect to keep him in the bullpen for long relief, but I'm not sure he'd be much help unless it was in mop-up duty. It's too bad because Wake has been a good pitcher for the Sox for a long time, but he just can't be counted on anymore.

BOX SCORE: Rays 10, Red Sox 3

There was nothing good to report about Wednesday's game other than David Ortiz belting two homers (he actually came close to hitting two more too).

The excitement from Big Papi's 2-run homer in the 1st was erased quickly as Wakefield gave up 3 runs in the bottom of the inning and the wheels fell off from there.

The Sox are missing Jason Bay right now too who is home with his wife and newborn baby. Hopefully J-Bay will be back on Friday as the middle of the lineup is pretty weak with Mike Lowell and J.D. Drew still hurt and Mark Kotsay in a big slump.

The good news is the Twins and White Sox lost so the Sox Magic Number to clinch the wild card is down to four. It won't be easy though as they go to Toronto to face Roy Halladay and A.J. Burnett and then finish the season with four games vs. the hot Cleveland Indians and three against the Yankees who would love to somehow knock the Sox out of the playoffs. Let's hope that final series of the season doesn't matter.

Sox Blow Chance to Take Over First Place

2008-09-16T23:41:00.000-07:00

Those pesky Rays just won't go away. Tampa was able to rally from a 1-0 deficit against Josh Beckett and steal a walkoff win to guarantee it will be ahead of Boston in the loss column no matter what happens in the series finale on Wednesday.

This was another tough loss for the Sox to take. They had a lead with their Ace on the mound, they had chances to extend the lead, they endured some bad calls and still had a chance to at least send the game into extra innings.

But for some reason Terry Francona turned to rookie Justin Masterson in the biggest spot of the biggest game of the year instead of leaving in Beckett, who had thrown 95 pitches on the night.

BOX SCORE: Rays 2, Red Sox 1

Even if Francona felt Beckett was done, why wouldn't he bring Hideki Okajima or Jonathan Papelbon at this point? The Rays had their heart of the order coming up including lefties Carlos Pena and Cliff Floyd. Seems like Okajima would be the logical call.

Also, Papelbon hadn't pitched in a couple of days and easily could have gone 2 innings if necessary.

Masterson has done a great job this season and is an important part of the bullpen, but to trust this game to a guy with less than 100 innings of Major League experience was just wrong.

The offense seemingly used up all its runs the night before with their 13-run outburst. They have struggled against Rays starter Andy Sonnanstine all season and were lucky to get a run off of him.

The umpires didn't help either with several bad calls and an unfortunate time out that was correctly called in the 9th with Pena up, but ended up costing Masterson a strike which eventually led to a walk.

Hitting Floyd in the ankle on an 0-and-2 pitch with 1 out and runners on 1st and 2nd probably sealed the team's fate. There have been so many 2-strike hits and 2-out runs scored against Sox pitchers this season it's ridiculous.

Now Tim Wakefield has to come up with a huge effort against Matt Garza or the Sox can basically forget about winning the division. It would really be nice to have the Rays and Angels battle it out in the first round of the playoffs rather than having to go to Anaheim right away.

Bombs Away in Tampa Bay

2008-09-16T11:40:00.001-07:00

So much for the Sox not being able to win in Tampa. They dispelled that myth in big way blasting six homers en route to a huge win.

The teams are now in a virtual tie for first and the Sox send Josh Beckett to the mound Tuesday to take over sole possession of the AL East.

David Ortiz got the festivities started with a 3-run bomb in the 1st and Mike Lowell added a solo shot two batters later and the rout was on.

If Papi can start hitting for power again that could the final piece of this season's championship puzzle.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 13, Rays 5

Daisuke Matsuzaka did just enough again to get another victory. Has there ever been a less impressive pitcher with a 17-2 record?

Rays starter Scott Kazmir looked shell-shocked after the 1st and looked like he wanted to crawl into a hole after Jason Bay and Jason Varitek homered in the 4th to knock him out of the game.

The Sox have been able to figure Kazmir out after he had been a Sox killer early in his career. If these teams end up meeting in the playoffs, I like our chances against him.

Sox Hold Off Jays, Move Within 1 of Rays

2008-09-15T00:44:00.000-07:00

Midday Saturday it looked like this might be a disastrous weekend as the Sox were on the way to being swept in a doubleheader and the Rays were on their way to sweeping the Yankees in a doubleheader.

Then a clutch rally capped by what had to be the shortest game-winning RBI hit by Jacoby Ellsbury in the 8th and some help from the Yankees and the Sox had life again.

After finding a way to beat Roy Halladay and getting more life from the hated ones (I still don't fell right being happay about an A-Rod grand slam and a Giambi home run), Boston heads to Tampa Bay with a chance to regain first place for the first time since the All-Star break.

Jon Lester outpitched Halladay all day, and might be an even better big game pitcher than Josh Beckett.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 4, Blue Jays 3

Coco Crisp continues to make a case that he should be starting the playoffs. Ellsbury is getting on base more to which is a huge boost to the offense. I like having Coco batting 9th followed by Jacoby. When they both get on it changes the entire game.

It would be nice for the team to secure a playoff berth with a few days left in the season so they can give Jonathan Papelbon some rest.

Paps gave us another scare giving up 2 runs in the 9th after blowing a save a few days before. He was helped out big time by a bad call on Lyle Overbay's double, but there have been plenty of calls that have gone against the Sox this season too so we'll take it.

Now it's time to prove we can win in Tampa. Dice-K needs to set the tone Monday night and then Beckett needs to follow that up with a statement game.

Wake Spins a Gem in the Rain

2008-09-12T21:40:00.000-07:00

Just when the team needed it most, Tim Wakefield came up with one of his best outings of the season shutting out the Blue Jays.

This was a huge win for the team as they needed to bounce back from the two brutal losses to the Rays.

Even though the score was close most of the way, it never seemed in doubt as Wakefield was in total command the whole way.

He tossed 8 shutout innings allowing just 3 hits with no walks while striking out 4. Maybe all the talk about Wake being left off the playoff roster got him motivated.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 7, Blue Jays 0

Jed Lowrie came through again driving in the first two runs of the night on a sacrifice fly and a double. Where would we be without him? I can't imagine Julio "the Pig" Lugo contributing like this.

David Ortiz ripped a big 2-run double in the 7th and Kevin Cash put the game away with a 3-run blast in the 8th.

It was huge for the Sox to get this game in despite the steady rain all night because they were already scheduled to play a doubleheader Saturday. With the Rays being rained out in New York, both teams are now forced to play doubleheaders on Saturday basically evening up the tough schedule.

If the Sox can at least split Saturday and then win Sunday it will be a big series win over a hot Toronto team.

Sox Reeling After 2nd Straight Tough Loss to Rays

2008-09-11T02:09:00.000-07:00

This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

Another gut-wrenching defeat to the Rays and now the Sox are three back in the loss column and we're looking at the wild card standings again.

This one may have been even harder to take than Tuesday night because of all the wasted chances. Runners on first and second for four straight innings and they couldn't push across a run and then they load the bases with no outs after falling behind 4-1 and can only scratch out one run.

A very disappointing night.

BOX SCORE: Rays 4, Red Sox 2 (14 inn.)

Mike Timlin should not be pitching in any situation that could affect the outcome of a game. I know we were just about out of pitchers, but Terry Francona has to realize that Timlin is done.

Timlin has been very good at times and I'm glad he was on the team and helped win two World Series, but it's time for him to hang it up. He definitely should not be on the playoff roster.

The next 7 games will determine if the Sox have any chance of winning the division. It will be tough to win 3 out of 4 against Toronto, especially with the doubleheader Saturday, but that's exactly what they need to do.

Then they need to go back to Tampa and win that series to get some momentum back heading into October.

Papelbon Can't Hold Lead After Bay's Big Blast

2008-09-09T22:03:00.000-07:00

Just when it looked like the Sox were going to celebrate a dramatic victory putting them into first place for the first time since the All-Star break, the pesky Rays rallied against Jonathan Papelbon dealing the Sox one of their toughest losses of the season.

Actually, the Sox were outplayed most of the game and should have been out of it before Jason Bay hit what looked like the biggest home run of the season and his career.

The Rays had runners on all night, but as usual Daisuke Matsuzaka found his way in and out of trouble all night allowing just 3 runs in 5-plus innings.

Dice-K was in rare form again, walking four batters, putting the leadoff runner on base in just about every inning, and throwing a ton of pitches forcing the bullpen into the game in the 6th.

If he pitches like this in the playoffs he's going to give us all heart attacks.

BOX SCORE: Rays 5, Red Sox 4

Papelbon was pitching in his third straight game and maybe shouldn't have been out there, but it's hard to fault Terry Francona for turning to him again. Paps again relied too much on his fastball though, which is a concern.

Bay continues to show he can handle the pressure of playing in The Hub and that he can be counted on in key situations. His home run sent Fenway into a frenzy and had us all thinking we just pulled off a miraculous victory that was going to devastate the Rays.

Francona made some questionable decisions in the bottom of the 9th after Mark Kotsay led off with a walk.

First he had Jason Varitek come up and try to bunt with David Ortiz on deck. Had Tek gotten the bunt down, Ortiz would have surely been walked taking the bat out of our best player's hands. It could be argued that Tek shouldn't have been batting at all with guys like Sean Casey and Jacoby Ellsbury available on the bench.

Speaking of Ellsbury, if he wasn't going to pinch hit, why wasn't he pinch running for Kotsay immediately?

Francona waited until there were two outs and then put him in. He then stole second base and went to third on the bad throw, but it was already too late. Had he done that with no outs it would have forced Tampa to play its infield in and the Sox likely would have at least tied the game.

Also, I know Coco Crisp has been on fire, but his entire hot streak has been with him batting at the bottom of the lineup. The second he goes to the leadoff spot he returns to the same old weak-hitting Coco.

It's time to stop screwing around with the lineup. Get either Ellsbury or Kotsay in the leadoff spot, have Pedroia batting second, Ortiz third, Youk or Lowell fourth and so on. The Sox are a much better team with Dustin batting second.

Despite the difficult loss, things still look good for the Sox. With a win on Wednesday they will have taken 2 out of 3 from the Rays and moved back to within 1/2 game of first place. As long as they keep winning series they should eventually pass Tampa and win the division.

Lester Dominates Rays, Sox Within 1/2 Game

2008-09-08T23:53:00.000-07:00

Jon Lester came up huge again and the Sox are now poised to move into first place with three weeks left in the season.

Lester seems to be getting better and stronger as the season wears on, and is becoming a great big game pitcher. I'm sure being around Josh Beckett has helped, but to be this good this young is very impressive.

Just like in the World Series clincher last year, Lester showed he wants the ball in big games and can be counted on. I don't think there's anyone else I'd want on the mound right now if we needed to win one game, other than maybe Beckett.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 3, Rays 0

The offense didn't do much after the first inning, but they didn't need to. Everything seems to be clicking right now. Mark Kotsay can hit anywhere in the lineup, David Ortiz is coming through in the clutch, Jason Bay is and RBI machine and doesn't miss mistakes, and Coco Crisp is on fire.

The Sox had the second best record in the Majors in August (behind the Rays) and are now 6-1 in September (the Rays are 1-6). They are peaking at the right time and have a legitimate shot for the best record in the American League.

Red Sox Salute Baseball's Best Fans

2008-09-08T23:52:00.000-07:00

Boston's Tenth Man is now in the record books.

The Red Sox sold out Fenway Park for the 456th consecutive time Monday night, breaking the Major League record held by the Cleveland Indians from June 12, 1995 through April 2, 2001.

Boston's streak started on May 15, 2003. Pedro Martinez defeated the Texas Rangers, 12-3 that day, before 33,801 fans.

Monday night a sellout crowd of 37,662 saw Jon Lester shut out the Tampa Bay Rays 3-0 to bring the Sox within 1/2 game of first place in the AL East.

The Red Sox streak is the fourth longest among all pro sports teams. NBA teams hold the top three positions, with the 1977-95 Portland Trailblazers selling out 744 consecutive games, followed by the 1980-95 Boston Celtics at 567 (you couldn't miss a game when Larry was playing), and the 1987-2000 Chicago Bulls (515).

With the Sox making another playoff run and undoubtedly being a contender for many years to come, this streak should end up eclipsing them all.

The sellout record is a great accomplishment for Boston fans and is another reason why we here at Boston's Tenth know we are Baseball's Best Fans.

Lowell, Beckett Make Triumphant Returns

2008-09-05T21:26:00.001-07:00

We couldn't have scripted this one any better. Josh Beckett throws 5 scoreless innings and Mike Lowell homers in his first at-bat and has 3 hits and 4 RBIs in their first games back from the DL. Unbelievable!

Add in Tampa losing and it was a perfect night.

Beckett looked as good as he has all year striking out 7 without walking anyone. If this is what we can expect from Josh the rest of the way, I like our chances.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 8, Rangers 1

A healthy Lowell is huge too. He'll be able to slide into the 4- or 5-hole in the lineup and allow Pedroia to go back to the No. 2 spot making the lineup that much more potent.

For Lowell to go 3-for-5 with a home run and 4 RBIs in his first action in almost a month is incredible. It shows how much of a pro he is.

Coco Crisp and Jason Varitek had another nice night at the bottom of the lineup too. All of a sudden the holes in the offense are closing up and this team is starting to feel a lot like last year's squad.

The Rays started their 9-game road trip against Toronto, Boston and New York with another loss and are now just 3 up in the loss column. They have to be worried about losing the lead in the division, even though they're almost assured of getting the wild card.

If the Sox pick up at least another game over the weekend, there's a good chance they'll be back in first by Wednesday night.

Sox Rally for Walkoff Win

2008-09-03T23:21:00.000-07:00

Maybe this is a team of a destiny. After basically being out of the game for the first 6 innings, Dustin Pedroia -- who else? -- belted a solo homer to spark a 5-run rally over the last 3 innings and the Sox completed the sweep of the Orioles.

It was another season-changing type win and brought the Sox another game closer to the rays who lost again to the Yankees. I still can't fully root for the Yankees, but I guess it's good the Rays lost.

The MVP talk for Pedroia is now reaching a fever pitch and for good reason. He's leading the leading in batting at 333, and is 21-for-34 (.618) in his last eight games.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 5, Orioles 4

The power numbers he's putting up are almost unbelievable. Hit he 8 homers all of last year and now looks like a lock to hit 20 this season. And he's not just hitting solo homers in garbage time. It seems like every hit he gets is huge and he never fails to come tho=rough in the clutch.

Pedroia has to be the most unlikely star in the game right now.

Mark Kotsay had one of the biggest hits of the season when he crushed a triple to left-center to the the game at 4-4 in the 8th. His acquisition looks better every day.

The bottom of the lineup continues to contribute as well with Alex Cora and Coco Crisp combining for 5 hits and starting the game-winning rally in the 9th which Cora ended when he scored the winning run on an error.

Dice-K struggled a bit walking 4 batters, but he got through 6 innings and kept the team in the game. Justin Msterson was outstanding again, pitching 2 perfect innings for the win.

Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell may return Friday in Texas. If they both return to form, especially Beckett, Boston just might catch Tampa and will be the AL favorite heading into the playoffs.

Sox Beat Up Birds

2008-09-03T02:10:00.000-07:00

(AP Photo/Steven Senne)

We're back from our Labor Day weekend hiatus and the Sox are playing great ball led by MVP candidate Dustin Pedroia.

They're now talking about him as an MVP candidate on ESPN. He is already one of my favorite Red Sox of all-time.

It's easy to predict his at-bats because he comes through in every big spot, like the grand slam against the Yankees last week and the 3-run bomb to put the game out of reach Tuesday night.

Who needs Manny, we've got Dusty!

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 14, Orioles 2

Even with all the injuries the whole lineup is hitting well. David Ortiz is getting hot at the right time - like he does every September - and Jason Varitek has found a way to become a Major League hitter again.

The acquisition of Mark Kotsay was huge. I can't believe the Yankees didn't try to block that move. If the situation we're reversed, I would expect Theo to block the Yankees from that move.

Kotsay had two more hits Tuesday night and is hitting .350 in his 5 games with the Sox. He's a great insurance policy in case Drew is in and out of the lineup the rest of the way - which is highly likely.

Jed Lowrie continues to be solid, Alex Cora has been decent filling in for the injured Mike Lowell and even Jeff Bailey has contributed with a couple homers filling in for the injured/sick Kevin Youkilis.

With the good news on the injury front that Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell will be back soon, this team is again starting to feel like one that can go all the way.

The Sox picked up a game on all their playoff contenders Tuesday. Even though I still say the Yankees are done, it was still weird hoping for them to beat Tampa. It will be nice when New York is officially eliminated from playoff contention.

Even if Tampa wins the division, if the Sox and Rays meet in the ALCS, you have to like the Sox chances no matter who has home field advantage.

Sox Blow Lead in Their Final Game at Yankee Stadium

2008-08-29T01:28:00.000-07:00

Maybe it was too much too ask for a sweep in the final series at Yankee Stadium, but the bottom line is the Sox did what they needed to winning 2 out of 3.

The Yankees still suck and I still say that with 29 games left in the season and 6 games to make up they are done.

It was a tough loss though. The Sox had their chances, especially in the 6th and 7th when they had a guy at 2nd with one out and couldn't score either time.

Papelbon's pitch to Giambi in the 9th on an 0-and-2 count was a shocker. I don't know why he didn't try to make him chase one in the dirt for the strikeout. It was very surprising they threw another fastball there.

BOX SCORE: Yankees 3, Red Sox 2

Lester pitched well which was huge after his last outing and the uncertainty of Beckett. I was a little surprised he came out for the 7th (although who can blame Francona for not having confidence in the bullpen), and it turned out he was left in a couple batters too long.

Okajima needs to shake off the home run too. The Sox need him more than ever now.

The Sox have 3 games each vs. the White Sox and Orioles and then at Texas before the first of two series against the Rays. They need to at win at least 6 or 7 of those games and hopefully cut into Tampa's lead a bit and get some momentum heading into the big series.

Sox Can't Close the Door on Yankees Season

2008-08-28T22:18:00.000-07:00

Well, what was a promising start to the day ended terribly wrong for the Red Sox.

First, the Sox blow a great opportunity to sweep the Yankees in what could possibly be the last game played in Yankee stadium between the two teams. And after the game, it was announced Josh Beckett will miss his scheduled start on Friday and see Dr. Andrews in regard to his elbow.

The team says it’s a precautionary visit. However, this is not good news as we could really use Josh healthy and pitching at Fenway Park tomorrow night.

On the positive side, Jon Lester was outstanding once again and has become the ace of the staff (6 2/3 inn, 1 earned run). Unfortunately, the bullpen went back to their old ways and Jason Giambi hit a two run home run off Okajima with two outs in the seventh inning.

After almost striking out on a foul tip with two strikes, Cody Ransom laced a double to end Lester’s night. Figuring Girardi would pinch hit Giambi for Molina, Francona opted to go with the lefty Okajima.. After getting ahead in the count, Giambi hit a towering home run to tie the game.

In the bottom of the ninth, Masterson got ahead of Nady 1-and-2, but Nady worked the count to 3-and-2 and singled to lead off the inning. After Cano failed to get the bunt down and lined out, the speedster Gardner stole second. The Sox intentionally walked Matsui to set up the double play opportunity with Pudge coming up. Masterson got ahead again, but couldn’t finish the job and walked the normally difficult to walk catcher.

With the bases now loaded and desperate for a strikeout, Francona opted to bring in Papelbon. Papelbon got ahead 0 and 2, but Giambi lined the third offering up the middle for the game winner.

The Sox couldn’t do much against the Yankees pitching today as Mike Mussina was sharp once again (7 inn, 5 hits, 2 earned runs). The Yankee bullpen also pitched well (2 hitless innings) and Rivera was credited with the win.

The RBI's came from a Jason Varitek single and a Jacoby Ellsbury fielders choice. It's worth noting that Jacoby is one of the only players in the league that could have beaten the play out.

We have to be pleased with a series win, but it sure would have been nice to get a sweep and put the nail in the Yankees coffin.

With a big series coming up this weekend against the White Sox, look for the Red Sox to bounce back and continue their great play at Fenway Park.

Note: Mark Kotsay started his first game in a Red Sox uniform and went 1 for 4 with a double.